THE Covenant OF GRACE Discovering The Great Work of a Sinners Reconciliation to GOD. By JOHN COTTON Minister at Boston in New England Whereunto are added Certain Queries tending to Accommodadation between the Presbyterian and Congregationall Churches Also A Discussion of the Civill Magistrates Power in matters of Religion By the same Author LONDON Printed by M. S. for Francis Eglesfield and Iohn Allen at the Marigold and Rising Sun in Pauls Church-yard 1655. TO THE Truly Vertuous and Religious my ever honoured and much esteemed Friend M ris Catharine Hodson The Sure mercies of David IF either Religion or Civility have any virtue to oblige certainly I am much your debtor it would be but a Complement which usually derives its Pedigree from the vainest assentations to promise any adequate satisfaction for those many favours you were pleased to make me the subject of The designe of these few lines is to testifie to your selfe and the world that I am really thankefull or heartily desire to be so The following Treatise which concernes the Covenant of Grace I commend rather to your Practice then protection It 's true it is an Orphane entertaine it for the Fathers sake and I shall undertake you shall gaine no mean satisfaction for your paines The two smaller Tracts at the end are of good use to those for whom they are intended In the first the Reverend Author undertakes a good Office which is to become Vmpire betwixt dissenting Brethren Next to their not falling out the best thing is to agree I have often thought that if men did more attend to the interests of grace and were lesse particular in their ends the quarrells about the way would not be so endlesse As to that latter Tract about the Magistrates power in matters touching the first Table Of late dayes it hath fallen much under Question wise and good men who have attended to the Scripture with a single eye have looked upon the Magistrate as The Minister of God a revenger to Execute wrath upon him that doth EVILL Rom. 13.4 under the name of Evill comprehending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Eth. 5. 13. whatsoever is committed about holy things Children are commanded obedience to their Parents in all things Col. 3.20 Felius inquit Augustinus Reges si suam potestatem ad Dei cultuuÌ„ maximè dilatandum majestati ejus famulam faciant De civit Dei 5. c. 14. All things comprehend holy things and the command of a father is lesse then that of the Supreme Magistrate That which relates in this little Book to the Covenant of Grace I commend to your speciall meditations every truth hath its value but not of equall concernment unto all Amongst all the parcells of sacred Word none more justly challengeth our serious study and affectionate inquisition then this mystery that hath been hid from ages and Generations Colos 1.26 comprehended in the Covenant or Grace which is a Constellation of great and precious Promises communicating the most beneficiall influences of rich everlasting and undeserved mercies by Jesus Christ the Mediator of the Covenant to the needs of lost heavy loaden sinners This is the City of Refuge and surest Sanctuary to which distressed soules have alwayes fled and found security when the â—…owes and the waves of temptation have beat upon them here they have successfully cast the Anchor of their hopes for The Mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the COVENANT of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempests and not comforted I will c. Isai 54.10,11,12 They onely know how much sweeter then the honey and the Honey comb the Gen. 33.9,11 Esau lookes upon his substance and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have much or abundance Jacob looks upon his portion in Jehovah saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have all things Thus it should be Translated large contents of the Covenant of Grace are who have tasted the grace of that Covenant The spirituall sense which you have of these things hath been so rightly exercised that your experience exceeds all the Arguments of knowledge that I am able to administer But this Covenant being our Grand Charter and the great reason of our hopes for another life I refer you to the perusall of the following Treatise and shall in the mean time bespeak a blessing from Heaven upon your meditations in it I Question not but still you pursue that thriving course in Religion which many are wanting to themselves in and that is to keep off from unedifying disputes and Questions which have added nothing to Christianity but discord scruple and a losse of the vitalls of Godlinesse besides the expence of precious houres which you have improved to more considerable advantages You run well let nothing hinder you Hold fast that which you have wrought that you may receive a full reward Live as much as you can to the interests of another world For the Land of IMMANUEL is an excellent soyle the purest aire is above where the Spirit breaths freely and the soule injoyes a condition proportionable to it selfe in as much as nothing can fit it but that which bears some similitude to its being Your warfare is not yet accomplished as you must wrastle with God by prayers so you must wrastle with principalities and powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de supercoelestibus Eph 6.12 vide Mat. 10.32 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mei causââ—… illius causa vide Mat. 26.21 All ye shall be offended because of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—OVI or because of heavenly things The nature of Satan is to tempt and we have that in our natures fitted to comply with any temptation Let him be conquerour or conquered he is restlesse He may goe away for a season till God is pleased to let out his chaine and then he comes againe Be we faithfull to the death and there is a Crowne of life provided for us Now the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 who hath called us into his eternall glory by Christ Jesus after you have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you So prayes Your very much obliged Friend in the bonds of the Gospel W. RETCHFORDâ— TO THE READER IF either Author or Matter may tend to commend any Treatise I might take occasion from both these respects to speak to the high commendation of all these three ensuing Treatises the Authors of them being such as whose commendations are in the gates of all the daughters of Zion and therefore need not Epistles of Commendation from any others The Name of Mr. John Cotton the Author of the two former being like a precious Ointment powred forth and although his blessed soul be now amidst the spirits of just men made perfect in the heavenly Jerusalem that is above yet his holy works and labours left
and loosed him forgave him the debt but when he had not like compassion on his fellow-servant then his Lord was wroth and charged all his iniquities upon him and cast him into prison untill he should pay all that was due to him So that the Pardon is not everlasting but onely respite from outward punishment and from inward pangs of Conscience many times and this they take for pardon of sin and acceptance with Jesus Christ when indeed they are deluded So likewise ther Sanctification is but for a moment they come at last to tread under foot the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified Heb. 10.29 for Christ was but a Conditionall Redeemer unto them they had onely gifts of Tongues and utterance and wisdome and discerning of spirits and a common Faith which things are not that Sanctification which is a fruit of saving Faith but onely such gifts as doe sanctifie them unto the work of the Ministry perhaps or Magistracy and fit them for houshold Government or the like and so much Positive work there is in them as doth make them in some measure fit for the work or service they are called unto For a little more explaining of this Is it the same with that Sanctification which is in Gods Children God forbid All the men in the world are divided into two ranks Godly or Ungodly Righteous or Wicked of wicked men two sorts some are notoriously wicked others are Hopocrites Of Hypocrites two sorts and you shall find them in the Church of God some are washed Swine others are Goats 1 The Swine are those of whom our Saviour Christ saith That they returne unto their wallowing in the mire like unto these are such men who at the hearing of some Sermon have been stomach sick of their sins and have rejected their wicked courses but yet the swines heart remaineth in them as a Swine when he cometh where the puddle is will readily lye down in it so will these men wallow in the puddle of uncleannesse when their conscience is not pricked for the present But these are a grosser kind of Hypocrites 2 There is another sort that goe far beyond these and they are Goats so called Matth. 25.32,33 and these are clean Beasts such as chew the cudd meditate upon Ordinances and they divide the hoofe they live both in a generall and particular calling and will not be idle they are also fit for sacrifice what then is wanting Truly they are not sheep all this while they are but Goats yet a Goat doth loath that which a Swine will readily break into but where then doe they fall short of the nature of sheep A difference there is which standeth principally in these particulars 1 The Goat is of a Capricious nature and affecteth Eminency his gate also is stately Prov. 30.30 Agur reckoneth the He-goat among the 4 things that are comely in going And they are full of Ambition they cannot abide swamps and holes but will be climbing upon the tops of mountains there is not that plain lowly sheepish frame that attendeth unto the voyce of the Shepheard to be led up and downe in fresh pastures they attend upon their ends and will outshoot God in his own Bowe and therefore when they have done many things for Christ he will say unto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity More Eminency they did affect then they were guided unto Thus it was with Jehu who in his zeal for God thought to promote himselfe and herein he will not be perswaded of his sin and therefore going into crooked wayes he cometh at length to cleave unto the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat who made Israel to sin yet notwithstanding you may recrive a Goat into Church-fellowship for all his capricious nature and he will be a clean creature and of much good use The five foolish Mat. 25.2 were all of them Virgins all of them abhorring Idolatry and all go forth to meet the Bridegroome and yet they are foolish and never shall you make them wise to be all for Christ onely hearing and obeying his voyce 2 They are of a Rankish nature all of them specially the old Goats will have an unsavory relish far from that pleasant sweetnesse that is in a sheep and herein Hypocrites are greatly different from the sheep of Christ as the Prophet speaketh Ezek. 34.21 and they marre the Pastures with their feet and will be at length mudling the faire waters of the Sanctuary also and in your best sanctification they fall far short of a sheep-like frame of spirit diligently to heare the voyce of the Shepheard this will not be found in the sanctification of the best Hypocrite under Heaven they may goe far and yet fall away and this is no Arminianism but if you search the Scriptures diligently you will find these things to be true 4 There is a fourth difference between the Covenant of works and of grace in respect of the Mediator Gal 3.19 The Law was given and ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediatour Moses was a Mediatour according to the works and this our Saviour telleth the Jewes John 5.45 You have one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust And as for Jesus Christ if he be given to be their Redeemer it is but according to their works if they shall obey his voyce but if they shall sinne against him he will overthrow them body and soule into the nethermost Hell But now in the Covenant of Grace Jesus Christ hath Obtained a more excellent Ministry to be the Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 Thus we see in this first Use the difference between the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace Vse 2. I might also here in the 2d place from hence gather an Argument against the whole body of Arminianism for they look at no gift of God but meerly upon the faith or works of the Creature foreseen If God speake of Election or any other gift of his grace they tell you it is of Faith foreseen but we see how contrary it is unto this truth of God for he giveth himselfe first in order of nature before he giveth any thing else accompanying Salvation He gave us Christ in his Eternall Counsel before Election and so doth he also in our Effectuall Calling not any Grace before Christ or power to choose whether we will have him or not have him but he is God and first giveth himselfe and with him faith and so worketh our wills unto himselfe not otherwise leaving it unto us to choose whether we will have him to be our God or no. Many things in Popery and Arminianisme come to be consuted from hence and both are utterly rooted out for in truth they hold forth no more but a Covenant of works And if we will not grant faith to be the cause of all the blessed gifts of God they will take it marvelously unkindly but they were as good
all Christians but if God doe set it home particularly unto any soule that man receives this gift of God it is made his own first he beleeveth this Promise of free grace and then afterward come other Promises that doe bear witnesse unto the right application of that Promise unto the soule but I am first buâ—… upon a Promise of free-grace or else there is no true closing with Jesus Christ Well then being thus united unto Christ from this Union with Christ do flow all other blessings and benefits of the Covenant of grace and from hence springeth Communion with Christ in all spirituall blessings that the Lord hath wrought for us in him and they are two of them Relative blessings as they are called by Divines and two of them Positive blessings The two former are laid up in Gods owne hand and are not created in us as the other two are 1 For the Relative blessings they are 1 Adoption 2 Justification And they spring immediately simul semel from the former Union with Christ for as soon as ever the spirit of God is in our hearts and hath wrought faith that we doe not spurne against Jesus Christ now is the Divine nature of Christ in us and we are now become the Sons of God as Christ himselfe is Look as in a mans first naturall conception as soon as ever Adam doth live there is an heir of Adam even so soon as the soul liveth So it is in this new spirituall birth as soon as the Holy Ghost cometh and hath wrought this faith now is the seed of God in us and the life of Christ and the Spirit of God and now are we the Sons of God Jo. 1.12 Immediately upon this Union with Christ we are Sons by Adoption and as we are Adopted so likewise our sins are now imputed unto Christ and his righteousnesse unto us and so our persons are justified For how and when was Adams sin imputed unto us Psa 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity c. so soon as ever there was life it was the life of Adam now the imputation of Adams sin falleth immediately upon the soule So when we doe receive Christ by this living faith having the life of Christ in us we have the righteousnesse of Christ also imputed to us for what doth the Child in the womb though it doth neither good nor evill but is meerly passive yet sinfull it is and a Child of Adam So also in this our Regeneration the soule acteth not but onely receiveth Christ by that faith which the Lord hath wrought in it whereby also it is made capable of the priviledge of Adoption and so the Lord accounteth us his Children and imputeth the righteousnesse of his Son unto us whereby we are justified These things doe dwell in Gods bosome and the meaning of them is afterward revealed unto the soule but communicated they are both that of Adoption and this of Justification by the gift of faith wrought in us but we are still upon the first worke of Conversion wherein a Christian is onely passive and receptive and truly it must needs be so in the first work of God upon us 2 Now for the Positive blessings that are wrought in us they are 1 Sanctification 2 Glorification When we are called then are we sanctified then are we glorified 1 Cor. 1.2 As in our naturall conception as soon as ever the Child liveth Adams sin is first imputed and then there is a pronenesse in it to carry it captive unto sin and to make it backward unto any goodnesse so when the life of Christ is dispensed unto the soule now the Lord cometh to convey with it Justification and in it pardon of sin and then there is a pronenesse in a justified person to be lively in duty If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit and by faith our hearts come to be purified Acts 15.9 and the same Spirit quickneth us unto holy duties so that we live yet not we but Christ liveth in us yea the Spirit sanctifying draweth us into an holy Confederacy to serve God in family Church Common-wealth and this sanctification groweth and encreaseth more and more for as corruption of Nature springeth from the imputation of Adams unrighteousnesse so doth sanctification spring from the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and thence floweth a pronenesse unto that which is good and a backwardnes unto that which is evill this is Sanctification 2 The other Positive gift is Glorification which we read of Rom. 8.30 This the Apostle Peter mentioneth 1 Pet. 5.10 as that whereunto we are called and in truth he hath begun the work from the time that he first began to call and sanctifie us 2 Tim. 1.9 From the very first time that God worketh upon the soule gratiously there is a glorious work in that soul and others may see it though himselfe seeth nothing that he hath received Thus we see the second branch of the Doctrine opened how the Lord doth receive Abraham and his seed unto himselfe preparing them by a spirit of bondage and of burning and then savingly by the inhabitation of the blessed Spirit the same Spirit begetting Faith we are alive in Jesus Christ and so come to be adopted and justified in him Afterwards the same Faith which at first onely receiveth Adoption and Justification doth now begin to stir a little and to breath forth into gratious desires and some holy mourning and beginneth now to put forth such works as the Holy Ghost carryeth the soul an end in working all our works in us and for us Now for the third and last part of the Doctrine the Lord took the chiefest of Abrahams seed to be the Mediator of this Covenant unto whom all the Promises were made Gal. 3.16 Quest If the Lord gave him to be Mediator how did he constitute him so to be Answ By a double Act First by receiving Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary to be one person with the second in Trinity hereby laying a ground of a firm Mediation between God and us for now cometh Jesus Christ to be of Gods Nature and therefore he wil be faithfull unto God and of our nature and therefore he wil be compassionate towards us And here is the Root of all the life and power of this Mediation to wit this personall Union betweene Jesus Christ and the Father which maketh up a firm and everlasting communion between God himselfe and Jesus Christ Secondly by Gods giving him to be a Covenant Isa 42.6 I will give thee for a Covenant of the people c. That is to be a Mediator of this Covenant 1 To receive from God all the Offices and gratious gifts whatsoever is requisite to a King Priest and Prophet all things he receiveth from the hand of the Father Col. 1.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell thus he becometh a plentifull Redeemer And as the Lord gave him
to be a Covenant so he giveth him also to worke all things needfull for our Redemption partly by his Passion and obedience unto the death of the Cross and partly by fulfilling the whole Law all righteousnesse for us The Lord Jesus Christ did fully accomplish whatsoever was requisite for him to accomplish in his owne Person 2 He doth perform all things needfull for the Application of this redemption unto our soules and to this end he it is that sheddeth abroad his Spirit into our hearts John 15.26 16.7 and when this blessed Spirit cometh he applyeth unto the soule all the gratious redemption of Jesus Christ by giving him and all the fruits of his redemption and by working all those blessed works that the souls of his people come to be partakers of and so performeth all those Conditions that are required on our parts If it be needfull for us to have faith he will work it in us If it be needfull for us to live a life of Faith he will help us so to live for it is not of our selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.9 Thus hath the Lord made him a compleat Mediatour of this holy Covenant and whatsoever we receive we receive it from him for unto him first as the head of the Church are all blessings given and unto us all Promises in him are Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 for though Christ be not a sinner in his owne persons yet in respect of his Members he is many times lost in them though not in himselfe and poor in them though not in himselfe for us therefore he receiveth the Promises of God and that is the great security of them that they are laid up safe in him and belong unto us if we have Union with the head and in him we perform whatsoever God requireth whether we Pray or Preach or hear we doe all in the Name of Christ going forth in his strength and power Col. 3.17 Thus is the Lord Jesus Christ a firm Surety of the better Covenant Stablished upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 Vse 1. In the first place This may teach us a broad difference between the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace In the Covenant of works the Lord offereth himselfe as a Father his Son as a Redeemer his Spirit as a Sanctifier but this upon a condition of works Thou shalt have no other Gods but me and If they shall keep his Lawes and obey his voyce then they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people Exod. 19.5,6 This also they undertake to doe Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will heare it and doe it But O that there were such an heart in them vers 29. When they rebelled he did not pardon them gratiously but the Angel whom he sendeth with them he biddeth them beware of him and obey his voyce and provoke him not For he will not pardon your Transgressions for my Name is in him In the Covenant of Grace he will but not in this here is indeed a Conditionall Redeemer and Saviour and so it is expressed Isa 63.8,9,10 with many of them God was not well pleased almost with none of them but overthrew them in the wilderness Thus in the Covenant of works all is given upon condition of obedience 2 The Lord giving Himself his Son his Spirit upon condition though it be but to works yet he is pleased to receive them into some kind of relative Union expressed Jer. 32.32 Which my Covenant they brake although I was an husband unto them He was marryed unto them in Church-Covenant this was some kind of Union he was their God and they were his peculiar people and yet the Lord cast them off a Generation of his wrath from this Marriage Covenant between them and him from this Union there springeth a kind of Faith by which the soule cleaveth unto the Lord in some measure else there could not be this marriage union and this faith is that which you read Psal 106.12,13 They beleeved his words they sang his praise c. So also Exod. 14.31 it is said They beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses This is that faith which men may receive and yet may Apostate from it spoken of Heb. 6.3 to 6. and Luk. 8.13 but all that faith was never grounded upon any free promise of grace but all was built upon Ordinances and Duties and upon no higher ground In the 2 Chron. 13.8 to 12. marvelously strong are the expressions of Abijah when Jeroboam came against him You think to withstand the Kingdome of the Lord in the hand of David c. Where we see what faith he did expresse and hereupon vers 18. The Children of Israel were brought under and the Children of Judah prevailed and yet this Kings heart was not perfect with the Lord his God 2 Kings 15.3 and yet mind you a strong confidence he had that the Lord was with him and that he would be present with his owne Ordinances there was faith built upon fellowship with Ordinances like unto that Faith in the Scripture before alleadged Luke 8.13 Men are affected with the word and beleeve and find comfort and all this springeth from that Relative Communion which they have with the Lord they find refreshing in their way and work and many times take it for the very Seale of the Spirit of God All which may and oftentimes is found in Hypocrites but here 's the difference in a Covenant of workes God giveth himselfe Conditionally in that of grace Absolutely in both he maketh a Covenant in the one of Grace the other of works in which the Voyce of the Lord is If you be true and faithfull to me then I will not remove you and in this Covenant is Faith found whereby they lay hold upon the head of the Sacrifice but not on Christ it is onely built upon such changes as they finde in themselves and will in the end vanish utterly away 3 There is a difference also that springeth from the fruits of these two Covenants iâ—… their continuance for tho in the Covenant of works there be a semblance of Justification and Adoption and a kind of Sanctification yet they endure but for a season and therefore he calleth them Lo-ammi for ye are not my people and Lo-ruhamah for I will no more have mercy though sometimes they were his people and he then had mercy on them They may also have pardon of sin that is forbearance of punishment for a season Psal 78.37,38 Being full of compassion he forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yet they were such whose heart was not upright with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant This is plainly held forth in the Parable Matth. 18.23 to the end When the Servant had not wherewith to pay his Lord he fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all his Lord was moved with compassion
deliver unto us another Gospel for it is not of Grace that Faith is given us Vse 3. This may also teach the people of God to bear a gratious respect unto those that are under a Covenant of works and not forthwith to condemn them as if there were no hope of their Salvation For God doth not call any into fellowship with himselfe in a Covenant of Grace but ordinarily he first bringeth them into a Covenant of works and casteth them out of doors by a spirit of bondage and of burning and then bringeth them in by the true door and Jesus Christ is that doore Joh. 10.9 Though the Children of the Faithfull be born under the outward dispensation of the Covenant of Grace yet if they be not of the Elect seed they will chose life by their works and so fall under the Covenant of works Gal. 4.24 to 30. So will Professors also Gal. 4.21 yea the Elect themselves before their Effectuall Calling will seek life by their works Hence those that are under a Covenant of works may belong unto the Lord as well as my selfe pray for them therefore Paul was under a Covenant of workes Steven prayeth for him and as most conceive that Prayer was effectuall unto his Conversion and Paul was as dear unto the Lord in his Eternall purpose as Steven himselfe was And thus Paul himselfe speaketh of Onesimus He therefore departed for a season that he might be received for ever So may we say of men under a Covenant of works the Lord may bring any of them home unto himselfe by dashing all his works in pieces and shewing him the presidence of his Spirit though the Lord hath melted him formerly in his Prayers and Preachings and Hearing and Sacraments by a Spirit of burning yet the Lord will discover that he is but hardened by it into another lump of pride against the Lord his God And the Lord will also pluck away the caul from their hearts and then they will have none in Heaven but Christ nor in the earth in comparison of him and then the Holy Ghost convinceth them of this sin above all their other sins that they have not believed on Jesus Christ Doe not therefore censure any such as to say there is no likelihood that they should have fellowship with Christ for if the Lord make them to fall down before him and to yield up their spirits unto the Lord in holy reverence and feare these have now received some secret smoking affections besides a Spirit of burning which the Lord will not quench Vse 4. It may serve in the next place to clear up our judgements in sundry passages that doe concerne the Covenant of Grace by Answers unto these 6 Questions following Quest 1. What is the first gift that ever the Lord giveth unto his Elect Answ First of all he giveth Himselfe the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit this is the foundation and if you shall lay saving Qualifications in the foundation before these the foundation will lye uneasily and the spirit of a true Christian shall not lye long in peace Christ must therefore be first and with him Faith to receive him first he will make a Covenant with us and put his holy Spirit within us and he cometh in with Faith and Fear that we never may depart from him He giveth us his Son and all things else in him he giveth us in him pardon of sins in our Justification and in him some degrees of glory also and in him right unto all the Promises of the Covenant no other foundation but him Take him first for he is the first thing given He taketh us by giving us Faith and we take him by exercising our Faith on him Object But whether doth not the Lord give us some saving Preparations before Jesus Christ for there be those that are gratious Saints that have conceived that there are some gratious Qualifications which the Lord giveth to prepare for Jesus Christ Answ There be saving graces which doe sanctifie us unto God our Father but whether they doe make way for Jesus Christ there proveth a difference but you may discern the truth of the point If the Lord doe give any saving Qualification before Christ then the soule may be in a state of Salvation before Christ and that would be prejudiciall unto the grace and truth of Christ for if there be no name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved but onely Jesus Christ nor his name but in a way of fellowship with him then it will unavoidably follow that whatsoever saving work there be in the soul it is not there before Christ be there it is true John Baptist was sent to subdue all flesh by a spirit of burning which burneth up the Covenant of Abraham I mean their carnall confidence in it and all their fruits of righteousnesse here were indeed preparations for Christ but these were not saving they were still Children of wrath Ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers notwithstanding all this John did indeed dispense poverty of Spirit and yet though they had received the Holy Ghost they were not sensible of it yet the poverty of spirit was there unto which the Promise was made but then Jesus Christ was there also whether they knew it or knew it not that is not greatly materiall in this Argument But if the Kingdome of Heaven was there Jesus Christ was there first otherwise it will prove dishonourable unto the name of Christ Indeed there is a saving preparation before consolation in Christ and the manifestation of our gratious union with him but for our first union there are no steps unto the Altar Exod. 20. last But Christ doth prepare his Tabernacle for himselfe to dwell in This is in the first place for Instruction concerning what is the first gift which the Lord giveth unto the soule before any work or Promise he giveth saving communion in spirituall union with his Son this standeth firm from the Tenor of the Covenant and the nature of it to my best understanding and therewith giveth us Faith and all other saving Qualifications and Conditions as it is held forth in the Scriptures of God Quest 2. In what order the Lord giveth the Covenant and the blessings of it whether Faith before them or those blessings before faith be able to apply them Answ He doth give himselfe in working Faith before Faith can be there and therefore it is the fruit of the Spirit that Faith is wrought in the soule and this Faith doth receive the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe by his Spirit and it doth also receive Adoption and Justification but to be able actually to apply it our first birth will not bear it for a man is as passive in his Regeneration as in his first generation onely the Lord giveth us his Spirit that doth unite us unto Christ which is received by Faith together with Adoption and Justification And yet by the Act of believing we are justified
given them and so to discern their sanctified estate Now I know that thou fearest me seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son thine onely Sonne from me so the Lord saith to Abraham Gen. 22.12 wherein he bare witnesse to his work and this doth fill Abraham with strong Consolation together with the Oath of God unto him for now the Lord doth not onely know it but cause him to know it also so that if the Lord doth but breath in such fruit of the Spirit if he doth but give power to the soule to doe such a work unto which the promise is made and doe make it appear unto the soule to be indeed such by the revelation of his blessed Spirit then doth the Lord fill the soule with Consolation But though the Holy Ghost himselfe doth not so sweetly and strongly breath and clear up his own Testimony by the comfort which he giveth unto the soule in such a promise yet a man by the Promise may being enlightned of God discerne what God hath done for him and hereby the soule may stay it selfe Psal 9.18 The expectation of the poore shall not perish for ever When the poor soule is meekned by Gods hand and the Lord letteth him so discern it that now he quietly resteth upon the Lord now the Spirit of God doth help David along to be supported with some stay and besides the waiting of a Christian upon him who hath made the promises doth make him yet more patient and hopefull And this is a fourth use of Conditionall promises to strengthen Faith 5 They are of use to work all these qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised by the exceeding pretious Promises we are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and this is no small work or use of these promises that from them should spring all our gratious qualifications for the Lord having promised such blessings in them these promises being received and enjoyed and meditated on by us we beholding them and the glory of the Lord Jesus in them are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 This great power there is in the Promises to help an end the work of God in the soul of a Christian so that though they were never given to bring us to Christ yet to this end they were given to work all those qualifications in us to which the blessings are promised Yea and they may truly be said to be given to bring us to Christ in this sense That though our Faith be not begotten by any promises to gratious qualifications prae-existent in us yet they may beget such qualifications of Faith to which promises are made 6 They are of use to stir up and provoke Christians to all such duties to which blessings are promised they stir them up effectually The Lord maketh a Promise 2 Cor. 6.17,18 And mark what use the Apostle maketh of it being a conditionall Promise Chap. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises c. let us c. implying that the having of these Promises stirreth up Gods people unto duties and the Lord is wont to breath in them and so to set forwards the work of cleansing of the hearts and wayes of his servants 7 They are of use further to strengthen Faith for the Lord that hath made such Promises will accomplish them for his Servants Gen. 32.9,10 Jacob there putteth the Lord in mind of his Promise and said O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord which saidst unto me Returne unto thy Countrey and to thy Kindred and I will deale well with thee and he was now returned according to the appointment of God but what now doth he plead the condition mind in the next words I am not worthy the least of all the mercy and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant yet now though he pleadeth not any worth at all yet seeing the Lord had promised such a mercy to him he prayeth for it ver 11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother Thus his faith is strengthned though he doth not plead any worthinesse to receive mercy So also doe absolute promises strengthen faith and the prayer of faith 2 Sam. 7.13,14 c The Lord there promiseth David that he would build him an house and that he would not take his mercy from his Children this stirreth up and strengthneth the faith of David ver 28 29 c. This well ordered and sure Covenant of God was all his stay and all his salvation though his house was not so with God 2 Sam. 23.5 So when the Lord promiseth to heal the backslidings of his people Ho. 14.5 their hearts are strengthned to come unto the Lord and say O Lord thy words are true let it please thee to heal the backslidings of thy servants Thus by the promises of God the Faith and faithfull prayers of his servants are both strengthned together Now let me further say thus much let us rightly discern what use to make of the principall part of the Scriptures take heed you doe not close with promises before we have Jesus Christ in them especially take heed you make not use of a promise to a gratious qualification to give you your part in Christ neither be taken aside to make account that the Lord did give you himselfe gratiously in a conditionall promise for these are aberrations from the Covenant of grace consider therefore well what the promises be and what use the Lord would have us to make of them it is not for a woman to take her husbands inheritance before shee take his person you know that all the blessings and all the promises are as it were the Inheritance of the Lord Jesus given unto him and to no other but in his name and therefore there is not any soule under heaven that can challenge his Right in Christ at the first by any promise till Christ first be given either in that promise or in some former if you know that you are in Christ you may know that the promises are yours otherwise you shall not be able to know your right in Christ by your right in the promises and therefore doe not turne them upside downe beyond the scope and intendment of the promises of the Covenant of grace we may take occasion by them to admire the goodnesse and grace of God as David did Psal 31.19 Thus ought we to consider of them and whither to looke that we might enjoy them and the blessings in them If you shall say we have been converted and have had gratious changes wrought in us be not deceived such worke may reach no farther than conviction and you may come to turne your backs upon Jesus Christ Consider therefore did ever the Lord give himselfe to be one with you whensoever the Lord doth strike up the bond of Union it is in a free promise of his grace Trust
not therefore upon every leaning of your soule upon conditionall promises for so you may build upon a Covenant made upon a worke and so you and your Covenant may faile together But when you read how the Lord hath made such promises to such and such qualifications then consider that those things are indeed requisite to be found in you but who is there in heaven or earth that can worke them in you there is none but Jesus Christ and unlesse you have him to be in you you cannot have any of these things wrought in you But will a poore soule say I am not able to reach the Lord Jesus Christ therefore all the promises doe fall heavie upon a man and he seeth that they are too burthensome and too weighty for him he doth not say here is the qualification and here is the blessing promised to it and therefore I will take it to my selfe but one that is taught of God doth forthwith goe and pray unto God that he will set him in the way of those blessings and that so he will make him partaker of them he prayeth that God will give him his Sonne and that he will adorne him with his grace as a bride of Jesus Christ Thus while the soule doth looke towards Jesus Christ and grace in him the Lord doth secretly transforme him into the image of Christ by working such qualifications in him and then beareth witnesse to that sanctification which is wrought in his heart thereby enlarging his soule with strong consolation in Jesus Christ and in the same way it is that the Lord doth strengthen the faith of his people to believe that all those things which God hath promised are accomplished in Jesus Christ and the Law fullfilled in me so farre as Christ is in me and therefore I come unto God in prayer to make good those promises unto me in a right way which would have been preposterously applyed before Christ was given And this may serve for Answer to the 5th Question Quest 6. Wee come now unto a sixt Question If the Lord doe give himselfe first in the Covenant of his grace this may then be a doubt and a question in a Christian soule If God give himselfe before any blessing before any promise in order of nature though he giveth himselfe alwayes in a promise if wee cannot claime any blessing from God at the first in any conditionall promise therefore not by any condition in our selves but as we received all things from God so wee claime all things from him in Jesus Christ and so doe first seeke for him and for all things in him If thus to what use then serveth the Law of God which requireth such and such conditions in us doe we not abrogate the Law make it of none effect and roote it out from having any power over Christians And truly some under pretence of the Covenant of grace have thought it altogether bootlesse to bind Christians unto the Law of God and to looke at it as any part of the direction of their Course Now because this is an imputation usually reflected upon the Covenant of Grace let us Confider therefore and enquire to what use serveth the Law of God if God give himselfe first unto his people in the Covenant of his grace Answ Though the Lord giveth himselfe freely to the soule and his Sonne and all the blessings of the Covenant of grace without respect unto any worke of the Law yet the Law is of speciall and notable use unto all the sonnes of men both unto them that are not yet brought home unto God by converting grace and also to those that are regenerate in Jesus Christ The Apostle Paul did observe that the question would arise upon the doctrine of the Covenant of grace Gal. 3.16,17,18 For if the blessing of Abraham came upon the people of God by Jesus Christ to what end then serveth the Law which came 430 yeares after It cannot disanull grace to make the promise of God of none effect to what end then serveth it Some say it is of no use others say that it is of such use that they had rather renounce the Covenant of grace than it but the Answer is it is of especiall use both unto spirituall and carnall men First unto carnall men and they are of two sorts some belong unto the election of grace though they be not yet called others are not written in the Lambs booke of life but will in the end finally perish and the Law is yet of use unto both sorts of them For the Elect it is of use unto them to aggravate their sin and to multiply it unto them as it were that is to say to aggravate the apprehension of the hainousnesse of sin upon their Consciences and to set home the burthen of sin unto their soules thereby to drive them to feele their great need of the Lord Jesus Christ whom otherwise they should for ever have despised Thus the Apostle answereth in the place aforenamed The Law was added because of transgressions that they might cleerely appeare and be aggravated thereby that a man might plainly discerne how he hath made himselfe liable to the wrath of God by so manifold breaches of so many Commandments in one kinde or other the Law giveth cleere knowledge of sinne and so much the more doth it set on the weight of it upon the Conscience working feare in the heart Rom. 8.15 And hence it is that the Apostle telleth us Gal. 3.24 The Law was our Schoole-Master to Christ As a Schoole-Master driveth his Scholler through feare unto this or that duty either to doe it himselfe or if he cannot to get others to doe it for him so the Law of God driveth the soule through feare unto Jesus Christ not that it doth reveale Christ a Saviour of free-grace but the soule being once brought downe under sense of sin by the terrours of the Law will readily willingly hearken unto the newes of Christ a Saviour for being once made sensible of his owne inability to redeeme himselfe and unworthines to be redeemed from the wrath of God now is the soule fitted to heare the voyce of the Gospell now is the newes of Christ beautifull and glad tidings And of this use is the Law unto the Elect of God before they come under the Covenant of the grace of God 2. But of what use is the Law unto other men First the Disobedience of it is of use Secondly the Obedience of it 1. The Disobedience for if men had not knowne sin it had been some pretence though they had committed sin but when men have the knowledge of the Law and yet commit sin willingly now they have no cloake for their sin Rom. 1.21 compared with 32. where the Apostle speaketh of the great sin of the Gentiles and much more of the Jewes Who though they knew God and the judgement of God and that they which commit such wickednes are worthy of death yet
not onely doe the same but have pleasure in them that doe them When a man shall not onely doe such wickednes but blesse himselfe in it this aggravateth a mans condemnation if men will not come unto Jesus Christ that they might have life Joh. 5.40 what saith our Saviour in such a Case see vers 45. Moses will judge all those that please themselves in wickednes and will not turne to the Lord Jesus Christ Thus there is use of the Law unto disobedient persons their disobedience will leave them without excuse when they sin against their consciences against the meanes which the Lord hath administred unto them for though the Lord never gave them such grace as did accompany salvation yet such Illumination he did give them that they needed not to have broken his Law so many wayes with such wicked hands as they have done therefore when they have been inlarged to performe many duties might avoyd much sin yet will sin against their consciences and tread under foot those meanes of grace that were committed unto them It is then most righteous with God that they should be condemned 2. Of what use is the Obedience of the Law unto such whom Gods soule takes no pleasure in Truly it is of sad and dreadfull use unto them for it serveth to harden them in their sinnes though that be but an accidentall use thereof their sinnes are thereby made out of measure sinfull Rom 7.13 They harden their hearts marvellously 1. By their Obedience to the Law 2. By the Comfort they finde in that Obedience For the first of these the Apostle Paul Acts 23.1 had kept so good a Conscience that he knew not any sin against the Law that he had lived in but though he was unrebukeable he did count it all losse afterward Phil. 3.7,8 Those things that before he thought had heen his gaine now he counteth them but dung that he may winne Christ when a man attaineth unto outward conformity to the Law he is then indeed ready to justifie himselfe and to thinke that it is indeed good for poore sinfull men to looke for salvation by Jesus Christ but for himselfe he hopeth in his selfe-devotion and that he is able to save himselfe these are such as justifie themselves before men to whom our Saviour speaketh Luke 16.15 And of whom he saith that Publicans and harlots shall goe into the kingdome of heaven before them Mat. 21.31,32 For many times you shall have the most deboist and prophane more humbled and readier to hearken to the voyce of Christ and sooner convinced of the necessity of the Covenant of grace than those that are morally righteous by the law Rom. 9.30,31,32 Chap. 10.21 Thus the Law becometh a snare unto them and that which is of singular and wholsome use unto the children of God is made death unto them And as their obedience to the Law is thus a snare unto them So secondly the delight and comfort which they take in their obedience is a greater snare than the other The stony and thorny soile did heare the word with joy and so those hypocrites Isai 58. did delight to approach unto God but what followed upon the delight which they tooke in God and in holy duties it made them ready to expostulate with God why he did not answer them according to their works the delight which they found did so fill their hearts with Assurance of the grace of God that they looked at their duties as so many tokens of the love of God unto their soules and then when men come to finde more comfort in their obedience than in the grace of God in Jesus Christ it maketh them ready to expostulate with God touching the worth of their owne righteousnes Isa 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thine hand therefore thou wast not grieved So long as a man findeth life and comfort in his owne performances what need can he see to be grieved for the want of Jesus Christ or at the best if he doe grieve and finde his heart comforted in grieving and delighting in the Course of humiliation he then thinketh he hath no need of being further solicitous about his spirituall estate Thus we see that the Law of God is of marvellous use in the dayes of the Gospell of great use unto those that belong unto God to breake their hearts for sinne and to drive them to Jesus Christ and for others the disobedience of the Law leaves them without excuse that so disobey it Againe the obedience of it and comfort in that obedience doth harden the hearts of others from Christ 2. But what say you then unto men that are under a Covenant of grace and brought unto fellowship with Christ therein of what use is the Law of God unto such is it utterly antiquated or is there any more to be done about it Answ The Apostle answereth this question when he saith I am not without the Law to God but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 So that mind you the Law is of use unto the Apostle Paul but how As the Law cometh under Christ so Paul cometh under the Law this is the summe of the Answer but that would be further explained What meaneth he when he sayth I am under the Law to Christ In some sense a Christian is freed from the Law in some sense he is under the Law so farre as the Law is any way besides or out of Christ so farre the Apostle is without the Law so farre as the Law is under Christ so farre he is under the Law keepe close to these two principles and you shall safely avoyd rockes on every hand thus by the use of the Law shall you not goe aside to a Covenant of works nor by attendance unto grace shall you neglect the Law How farre is the Law under Christ When it hath brought the soule neerer unto Christ and in a remote manner prepared him the Law is in Christ and you subject to it in him 1. As the Law is given by Christ 2. As in Christ helpe is given to performe it First as the Law is given by Christ as 1 Thes 4.2,3 and many other Commandments he gave them all which are legall Commandments and yet the Apostle gave them by the Lord Jesus So Mat. 5. to the end of the Chapter Our Saviour would not have us thinke that he came to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fullfill them and to that end he doth there expound the spirituall true meaning of the Law that whereas the Pharisees held forth the outward letter of the Law to be observed onely as thinking that unlesse a man did commit the act of murther he was not guilty of the breach of the sixt Commandment and if he committed not the act of Adultery he transgressed not the seventh Commandment and so of the rest Our Saviour Christ expoundeth the Law more spiritually shewing that Anger against a mans brother is a breach
joy and comfort also which the Lord doth minister to us in a Sanctified course by his Holy Spirit so we grow up and perfect our holinesse which we have received in his name There is growth in grace this Sanctification is not bedrid Christians are not as weak now as they were seven years agoe nor doe they stand at a stay but goe forward in Christianity and hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Ephesians Chap. 4.16 To speak the truth in love that they may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ Implying that men that enter into the wayes of holinesse ought to grow on unto perfection in the fear of God Job 17.9 And many sweet meanes the Lord hath appointed for this end the communion of Gods people tendeth hereto Prov. 13.20 He that walketh with the wise shall learn wisedome All the Ordinances of God are appointed for this end also to beget and encrease Faith and holinesse therefore a Christian in the use of all these Ordinances doth not stand at a stay but is still thriving and growing and that not in his owne strength but in the strength of Jesus Christ seeking for his acceptance and help in every duty he goeth about and this is that the Apostle doth exhort the Colossians unto Chap. 2.6,7 This ought Christians mainly to attend unto that as you see the branch the more juice it sucketh the more fruitfull it is so also it becometh the people of God to know that the more need we stand in to be fruitfull the more need we have to derive a continuall fresh supply from the Lord Jesus Christ that by his Spirit renewing grace in us we may be enlarged and carried an end in the wayes of God whereas otherwise the hearts of Christians would soon faile to goe on in those things wherein they desire to be growing up unto perfection What is the reason that so many servants of God are not so lively in their profession as they were wont to be many yeares agoe Truly wee attend upon Ordinances but it is onely upon the outward act of them and not upon Jesus Christ in them this is many times wanting in the hearts of Gods people but truly if this be our constant frame and wee doe not recover our selves then is not our sanctification such as floweth from fellowship with Jesus Christ for you shall finde this to be true that there is no gift of Christ nor no sanctification accompanying salvation but it doth knit us neerer and neerer unto Christ and the more wee are filled with true spirituall gifts the more empty wee are of our owne strength and selfe conceits and so wee ought to be otherwise we shall constantly finde this that if the Lord doe not preserve this empty frame in us the more full we are of any gift the more full shall we be of our owne strength and consequently the lesse need shall we feele of Christ and if this be our constant frame it will be a sad argument that our best sanctification will not endure but fall away unlesse we be knit unto Christ by the Spirit of his grace for by all true sanctification we are the more knit unto him so that if any man would know whether the superscription of Christ and his Image be stamped upon his sanctification this you shall ever finde to be the stampe of the grace of Christ that the more you receive from him the more you stand in need of him in so much that notwithstanding all the gifts of the Spirit there is not the ablest Minister of the New Testament but if his gifts flow from the Spirit of Christ and knit you unto Christ you will finde as great need to cleave unto Christ as ever you did the first day when you came trembling into the Pulpit If therefore wee feele our selves full so that the more we have received the more sufficient we are and goe not about the duties we have in hand in feare trembling but in selfe-confidence if this be our usuall and constant practise it is but counterfeit Christianity I doe not say that the gifts are counterfeit for they are from the Spirit of God and men may by them be very serviceable to Church and Common-weale but this is certaine that the stronger and the more your gifts are if you sit loose from Christ the emptier your hearts are of him But you will say may not a Christian be full of himselfe and depend upon the strength of his owne gifts Yes God forbid I should deny that for the best Christians have gone astray in the exercise of their best gifts and hereupon Abraham hath been wanting in faith Moses in meeknes Peter in courage and Sarah in her modesty they have been so apt to trust upon those graces of God wherein they have most abounded that they have principally failed therein but this you shall finde that if they have been overtaken once or twice as the burnt childe dreads the fire so they grow to be more sensible of their need of Christ more fearfull of departing from him more carefull to cleave unto him that they might grow up in his Name unto all well pleasing in his sight If therefore there be a sanctification that standeth at a stay in any man it is a great suspition whether the gifts thereof flow from fellowship with Christ or no if gifts be truly spirituall a man shall usually grow up in them Habenti dabitur Imploy them and multiply them but if you imploy the gifts you have received in your owne strength and you are now full of your owne sanctification truly this is but frothy work and doth not convey true nor lively nourishment and comfort but the comfort and life is to him that in his most spirituall gifts best performances is empty of himselfe and onely full of Jesus Christ to live or dye is his advantage This is the Use which I would commend unto you touching your Christian sanctification Thus we see sundry things have been cleered from this doctrine concerning the Covenant of grace There remaineth another thing to be resolved and cleered from the doctrine for if God in the Covenant of his grace doe give himselfe to be a God to Abraham and to his seede It is then to be enquired How God the Father giveth himselfe and how the Son and how the holy Ghost giveth himselfe for these are the fundamentalls of the Covenant of grace and necessary to be opened for cleering the doctrine of it Quest How God the Father doth give himselfe to be a God in Covenant to Abraham and to his seed that is to the faithfull seed of Abraham Answ All the Persons in Trinity concurre in works ad extra in works upon the Creature They give themselves by a Threefold worke or Act. 1. The first Act of God is having chosen us in his Sonne He gave forth his owne Sonne out of his bosome for the redemption of Abraham his seed
behind him doe and I trust ever will speak to the Saints to the Churches here below both in the present and also future Generations yet unborn Neither doth the other viz. the third that concerning the Power of Magistrates in matters of the first Table seem to claim any lower descent being indeed a Result of a meeting of divers reverend and godly Elders of severall Churches in the Masaâ—…usets Plantation in New-England An. 1646. where both the head and heart of the forenamed reverend and precious man was also present amongst those approved workmen who need not to be ashamed And as for the Matter which they do treat of 't is the establishment of Peace both Spirituall viz. of a beleeving soul with the Lord in the Covenant of Grace as in the first Treatise and Ecclesiasticall viz. between the Brethren and Churches of the Presbyterian and Congregationall way as in the second and also Politicall viz. between Magistrates and people in point of power and Jurisdiction about matters belonging to the first Table as in the third Treatise How well these things are here spoken unto I shall willingly leave to the godly and learned Readers to judge I shall only desire to give a brief account of the publishing of them to the world that the Reader may undoubtedly assure himself that these are neither spurious Copies nor surreptitiously put forth The Treatise of the New Covenant having been taken from the Authors mouth in Preaching was afterward presented unto him with desire of his perusal and emendation of it which being done and indeed the interlinings of his owne hand doe plainly testifie his correcting of it he delivered back not long before his death into the hands of a Gentleman one of the Church in Boston there who coming over hither and being about to return left it with me to take order for the Printing of it That of the Queries I had from the Reverend Author himself my most Honoured friend in a letter from him with liberty if it might be thought meet of publishing of it At my coming over from that Country which was about a year before his death he delivered unto me the same for substance but in another Form viz. in 12 Propositions and therefore did then expresse his unwillingness to yield to the impression of them being moved thereunto by a Reverend Elder then present with us by reason as he said they were set down by way of Propositions but afterward the Lord having directed him to mould them in to another model turning the twelve Propositions into eleven Queries he was pleased to send them over unto me as here they are presented He was a man of peace of a very sweet spirit and had a speciall faculty of composing differences in the judgements of Brethren and thus much I shall crave liberty to testifie of him that besides the multiplicity of occasions which was constantly upon him he was not without care about the Peace and welfare of the Churches abroad and notwithstanding his so vast a distance in body from the Churches and Saints in his Native Countrey yet he had great thoughts of heart for the Division of his Brethren here being seriously studious how to compose and heale their breaches He hath sometimes said unto me being privately together Brother I perceive there is a great gravamen which the one party is much offended at with the other I pray let us study how we may ease and remove it From that solicitous care it was that he drew up these 11 Queries unto which may it be without offence I shall be bold to add one more to make up the number even and round the which I doe presume that our Reverend and honoured friend would not have been averse unto had he been on earth to have been consulted withall The third and last Treatise being The Result of a Synod at Cambridge as 't is stiled by the Copy come to my hands was lately sent over unto me from a Reverend Friend one that was present at that Assembly desiring mee earnestly intimating also that 't was not his owne desire only to procure the Printing of it as conceiving it might prove very usefull for the present season Now these three little Treatises being in mine hand through providence together and each of them somewhat too small to put forth severally I was the more willing especially apprehending them not to be altogether heterogeniall to joyne in one small Volume and as they came from one and the same place so to send them forth as Companions together and oh that the presence and blessing of the Spirit of Christ may go along with them making them usefull and profitable unto the Readers or Hearers of them THO ALLEN BOOKS Sould by John Allen at the Rising Sun in Pauls Church-yard NOva Testament Beza fol. Doctor Holdsworths Works compleat 4o. Mr. Caryl's fifth Vollume on Job 4o. Mr. Greenhil's second Voll on Ezekiel 4o. Gospel-Liberty by Mr. Cradock 4o. Mr. Lockiers Works 4o. Andrew's Catechisticall Doctrine 8o. Simpson of Justification 8o. Ainsworth's Communion 8o. Ainsworth's Arrow against Idols 8o. Welch Testament 8o. The Saints Desire by Samuel Richardson 8o. Gaule of Witches 8o. The Contents of the Treatise concerning the Covenant Doct. THat God in the Covenant gave himselfe to be a God unto Abraham and his seed and received Abraham and his Seed to be his people and took Christ to be the Mediatour and Surety of this Covenant between both Page 4. In which are these 3 things 1 That God gave himselfe to Abraham to be a God to him and his Seed 5. 7. Here is considered 1 What 't is for God to give himselfe to Abraham 7. Viz. 1 The whole nature of God in his Persons and Attributes 8. 2 All the Ordinances Creatures and works of God 10. 2 The Order of Gods giving in the Covenant 14. Viz. 1 God doth first give and not the Creature ibid. 2 God also is the first thing that is given ibid. 3 The Manner of giving viz. freely and for ever 15. Obj. But the Lord required that he should give himselfe back again Answered 16. Obj. The Lord required him to circumcise his Seed answered 17. 2 How the Lord doth take Abraham and his Seed to be his people 5. 19. By preparing them by a spirit of Bondage 20. Burning 21. By taking possession of them by his spirit 24. Which spirit doth Convince the soule of unbeliefe 25. Work Faith and unites to Christ by some Promise of grace 26. Qu. Whether may not true Faith be built on a Conditionall Promise answered 29. see 56. From Union followeth Communion with Christ in all spirituall Blessings 31. Viz. Relative as Adoption ibid. Iustification ibid. Positive wrought in us as Sanctification 34. Glorification 35. 3 How the Lord did constitute Jesus Christ to be the Mediatour of the Coven 7. 36. By receiving him the Son of the Virgin Mary to be one person with the second in the Trinity ibid. By
giving him to be a Covenant or a Mediatour of it In filling him with all fullnesse to be a King Priest and Prophet 37. In his performing whatever is required on our parts ibid. Use 1 It teacheth the difference between the Covenant of Works of Grace 39. 1 In the one all is given upon the condition of obedience in the other not ibid. 2 The Covenant of Grace is built upon a free Promise of Grace the other upon something else as Ordinances Duties c. 40. 3 In the Continuance the Benefits of the one as Justification and Sanctification doe abide the other not so 42. Two sorts of Hypocrites have a kind of Sanctification Viz Washed Swine and Goates 44. The Goates fall short of Sheep in two things 45. 1 Goats are Capricious affecting eminency ibid. 2 They are Rankish not having the sweetnesse of sheep 47. 4 In respect of the Mediator both of the one and the other ibid. 2 It yieldeth an Argument against the Body of Arminianisme 48. 3 Gods people 〈◊〉 to respect them that are under a Covenant of Workes and not be hopelesse of their Salvation 49. 4 It helps to clear sundry Questions about the Covenant 51. 1 Qu. What is the first Gift that ever the Lord giveth to the Elect 52. Ans He giveth Himself and not saving Preparations fiâ—st ibid. 2 Qu. Whether are the Blessings of the Covenant given before faith to apply them 55. Ans The Spirit is given to work faith ibid. 3. Qu. Whether the Promise wherein the Lord giveth Himselfe be absolute or conditionall 56. Ans ' Tiâ— absolute ibid. 4. Qu. Whether a mans Union with Christ may be evidenced by his Sanctification Answered in foure Propositions 58. 1 Propos That a Sanctification which the Terrours of the Law may produce is no evidence of Union with Christ ibid. Here three things are to be attended unto concerning Sanctification 60. 1 The Root from which it springeth 61. 2 The Rule by which 't is guided 67. 3 The End at which it aimeth 70. 2 Propos That true Sanctification is many times dark unto a Christian 74. 3 Propos That true Sanctification is not discernable before Faith be discerned 75. 4 Propos There is a reall Difference between legall and Evangelicall Sanctification and wherein it lyeth 77. 5 Qu. Of what use are Promises especially Conditionall if not to bring us unto Christ 86. Ans There is a three fold use of them 1 Before Union with Christ both for Doctrine 87. Instruction 88. Exhortation 89. And a three-fold Effect also the Promises have before Union Viz. Of Illumination 90. Affection to despise all other things ibid. Conviction so as to leave without excuse 91. 2 In our Union with Christ 92. 3 After our Union with Christ and that many wayes Viz. 1 For Doctrine that all treasures are in Christ 96. 2 For Instruction where to looke for Qualifications ibid. 3 To stir up to Prayer 97. 4 To help to discern our spirituall estate 98. 5 To worke the Qualifications and Conditions of the Promises in us 100. 6 To provoke to such Duties as to which blessings are promised 101. 7 To strengthen Faith ibid. 6 Qu. To what use then serveth the Law of God which requireth such and such Conditions in us Is not this to make it voyd unto Christians as if they were not under the Law at all 106. Ans 'T is of speciall use both unto them that are Carnall either Elected to make them see their sin 108. Not Elected to harden them 111. Both by their Obedience to it 112. Comfort in their Obed ib. Spirituall being under the Rule of it 114. And the effects of their subjection to it are 1 They feele the Fatherly displeasure of God for their transgressing of it 119. 2 They beleeve Gods gracious acceptance of their Obedience unto it 120. 2 A Christian is not under the Law i. e. under the Covenant of it so as he is not to 1 Look for life by his Obedience nor to fear condemnation by the breach of it 124. 2 Seek for any blessing from his obedience nor fear any curse from his disobedience 128. 3 Look for Conjugall Comfort from his Obedience 130. Divorce from his Disobedience 130. 4 Claime his right to any Conditionall Promise by his Obedience Deny himselfe the Blessing of the Promise because of his disobedience 132. Hence therefore 1 Let none accuse the Doctrine of the Covenant of Antinomianisme 134. 2 The Servants of God may see how far they are freed from the Law 136. 3 Men may come to have some discerning of their spirituall states 137. 4 Gods people may learn how to build their Faith and Hope 138. 7 Qu. If God gives Himselfe and so if his Holy Spirit be in us what need we Gifts or Grace to work by 141. Ans 1. We cannot see God without the same 143. 2 Thereby we are made fit Temples for the Holy Ghost 145. Qu. But if there be Gifts of Holinesse in us then what need the Holy Ghost to dwell in us ibid. Ans 1 To keep those gifts in us 146. 2 To act them in us 147. 3 To witnesse to us by them to our comfort ibid. Qu. How are we to imploy the gifts of Sanctification in us 150. Ans 1 See that we receive them from Christ and that Christ be all in all in them ibid. 2 Trust not on them 152. Either for The performance of any duty 153 Justification from them 160. 3 In point of witnesse and how 161. 4 In point of rejoycing 162. 5 We are to grow up in them to perfection 164. 9 Qu. How doth God give Himselfe to be a God Covenant with us 170. Ans 1 He gave his Son out of his bosome for our Redemption 171. 2 He giveth us unto Christ and Christ unto us 173. Qu. How doth the Father give and call us to Christ 174. Ans By his Word ibid. Spirit Of Bondage 175. Burning 177. Adoption 184. Hence we may learne to discerne how we came to saving fellowship and union with Christ 192. There are foure sorts that fall short of this Union with Christ ibid. Viz. Such as 1 Doe blesse themselves in regard of outward blessings ibid. 2 Find comfort in their Reformations ibid. 3 Rest in a Faith of their owne making 193. 4 Waite upon Christ for Faith in their owne strength 195. FINIS Some Faults to be Corrected by the Reader In the first Treatise Page Line  1 16 read through 11 25 read Eschol 29 14 for penitent read president 31 2 blot out is it 33 22 after us make a period 38 18 for persons r. person 43 26 r. their 44 22 r. Hypocrites 46 23 for recrive r. receive 48 1 for the r. their 49 21 for it is r. is it not 51 3 r. prefidence 53 2 after Christ make 60 7 for attained r. attended   last line but one r. no easie 71  last line in the marg for Answ r. Quest 77 2 for
exposit r. proposit 133 10 after 9 10. make 150 10 in the marg for Quest 3. r. Quest 8. 197 11 for a as r. as a. In the second Treatis Page Line  8 18 for as r. an 14 23 for quickly r. quietly 19 8 r. shall not he be bound 20 6 after abide make this point In the third Treatise Page Line  6  last line but one make a period after allow 10 27 r. finde 14  last line but one for at r. of 20 16 for strained r. restrained 22 26 for and r. an 32 11 for speake r. seeke 38 8 r. life making wounds and marks 52 2 after to make a comma  3 4 5 blot out all in the parenthesis 55 3 for aris'd r. ariv'd 59 24 for for acts r. of acts 63 12 for non coactive r. not coactive The NEW COVENANT OR A Treatise unfolding the order and manner of the giving and receiving of the Covenant of Grace to the Elect. As also Shewing the difference between the Legallist and the true Christian Being the substance of sundry Sermons Preached by Mr COTTON At Boston in New-England some years since and corrected by his owne hand not long before his death LONDON Printed by M. S. for Francis Eglesfield John Allen at the Marigold and Rising Sun in St. Pauls Church-yard 1654. The NEW COVENANT OR A Treatise unfolding the order and manner of the giving and receiving of the Covenant of Grace to the ELECT ACTS 7.8 And he gave him the Covenant of Circumcision THis blessed Servant of God Steven being called to account concerning what he had sayd touching Jesus Christ his destroying the Temple it is the scope of his whole discourse throout this Chapter to justifie the doctrine that he had taught that though Jesus of Nazareth should destroy that place yet in so teaching he taught not blasphemy And this he doth in way of an holy History or Narration make evident in the first place from the sweet communion which their Fathers had with God before either Temple or Tabernacle was built and if so then he would not have them look at it as unsafe for them or as an utter ruine to Religion if that both the Temple and the Ordinances of the Temple were destroyed in themselves and fulfilled in him And first the passages of Abrahams communion with God Steven doth relate and maintaine before any of Moses his Customes were knowne God did effectually call him which call he did also obey ver 2 3 4. though as yet he knew no Circumcision God giveth him a tryal of his faith wherein he found Abraham faithfull ver 5 6 7. God promised to give him the Land of Canaan for a possession but he gave him not a foots breadth He promised to give it unto his seed when as yet he had no Child and when God gave him seed yet they should sojourn in a strange Land and be in bondage 400 years God gave him the Covenant of Circumcision in the words of the Text and Abraham in the strength of the blessing of God begate Isaac and Circumcised him according to Gods direction and all this before Moses gave any Ordinances unto them to keep and before either Temple or Tabernacle was built From hence we have heard That the soule may have very spirituall and gracious communion with God before it partake in Church-fellowship or in any Seale thereof for Abrahams faith was throughly tryed before he had the Seale of Church-Covenant given him We heard also this propounded which is the words of the Text that God gave unto Abraham the Covenant of Circumcision which Doctrine doth imply in it four principall parts all of them serving to clear Stevens meaning and to prove his scope 1 The Author and manner of dispensing it God gave so it was by gift 2 The Articles of it and they are to be inquired into 3 The Confederates and they are expressed God on the one side and Abraham and his seed on the other side 4 The Seale of it Circumcision which was the Seale of Church-Covenant These four parts doe yeeld unto us so many Notes The first of them was formerly spoken unto in the last point formerly handled Now for the second and third parts to wit the Articles of the Covenant and the Confederates we comprehend them both in this one Note Doctr. That in the Covenant which God made with Abraham he gave himselfe to be a God to Abraham and to his seed and received Abraham and his seed to be a people unto himselfe and the chiefest of this seed the Lord Jesus Christ he took to be the Mediator or Surety of this Covenant between them both This is the sum of the Articles and of the Confederates What the Articles be is not here mentioned but Gen. 17.7 they be for to speak of Circumcision before a Covenant it is but a seale to a blank where the Lord expresseth himselfe thus saying I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and unto thy seed after thee As for other parts of the Covenant they were more properly unto Abraham himselfe as to be exceeding fruitfull to be the father of many Nations those things were more peculiarly proper unto Abraham though they have a morall and universall use and force in all the faithfull whom the Lord doth make fruitfull and giveth them a naile in his Tabernacle In the Covenant these three things are implyed 1 God gave himselfe to be a God unto Abraham and to his seed This is such an Argument as the strength and wisdome of men and Angels cannot unfold It is a Catechisme point and by way of Catechisme to be opened as the Lord hath revealed it I mean plainly and familiarly 2 God did receive Abraham and his seed to be his people this is implied and necessarily inferred by the Rule of Relatives for if God doe give himselfe to be a God unto Abraham and to his seed and doth not expresly prerequire it of Abraham and of his seed that they should give up themselves to be his people then it must of necessity follow that the Lord will undertake to receive them to be a people unto himselfe and prevent them in that grace and so he will performe both his owne part of the Covenant and Abrahams part also according to what we read Deut. 7.6,7,8 when as they were in a Land of Idols and the Lord lifted up his hand to have destroyed them there yet he remembred and wrought for his own Name sake so that though they were far off yet the Lord to make good his Covenant brought them out of Aegypt and so from one Covenant to another by all which things it doth appear that the Lord will keep our part of the Covenant also and this is necessarily implyed in that he promiseth to be a God unto Abraham and to his seed and there is no
expresse Restipulation pre-required on Abrahams part We see this likewise held forth Deut. 29.1.13 where the Lord entreth into another Covenant with them in the Land of Moab besides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb and in this Covenant he doth establish them to be a people unto himselfe as well as give himself to them to be thrir God vers 13. and as God required it of them to circumcise the outward man even the foreskin of their Children so he will also circumcise them taking possession of them and circumcising their hearts and taking away the stonynesse of them and so fit them to be a Temple for himselfe to dwell in 3 The Lord in this Covenant taketh the chiefest of Abrahams seed even the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Mediator and surety of the Covenant and unto him doe all the Promises belong so the Apostle doth expound it Gal. 3.16 and so by him are all the Promises and blessings of the Covenant conveyed unto Abraham and to his seed his faithfull seed all the world over and therefore he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 meaning of the Covenant of Grace Heb. 8.6 These three things doe containe the sum of the Covenant of Grace and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and would therefore be plainly discovered unto Christians as 1 What is the meaning of this that God gave himselfe unto Abraham 2 How doth he take Abraham and his seed and make them his people 3 How doth he take Jesus Christ and make him the Surety of the Covenant between them both for the Covenant is established and so is a sure firm and everlasting Covenant Now in this gift that God gave himself unto Abraham observe three things 1 The Blessing given 2 The Order in which it was given 3 The Manner of giving it In the Blessing given When God doth by Covenant give himself to be a God it doth imply two things 1 That God doth give Himselfe the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost the whole Nature of God and all the Persons the God-head with all the Attributes of that Nature and all the Offices of those persons for it is not a confused God that vanisheth away in a generall imagination but God distinctly considered in his Persons Attributes Properties c. Thus the Lord giveth himselfe to Abraham and to his seed I will be a father unto you 2 Cor. 6.18 and that is not spoken unto the Jewes onely but unto all the Israel of God He giveth the Son also Isa 9.6 Joh. 3.16 And for the Holy Spirit Jo. 16.7.13 Isa 59.21 This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words that I have put into thy mouth shall not depart c. And this is it which the Apostle also saith Gal. 4.6 Thus the Lord giveth himselfe unto his Servants from one Generation to another If therefore the Lord God the Father give himselfe he will not be wanting to draw his people unto the Son Jo. 6.44 and what is the chief businesse and work that the Son hath to doe about us No man can have fellowship with the Father but he must have fellowship with Jesus Christ so our Saviour himselfe saith John 14.6 No man can come unto the Father but by me This therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will doe for all the elect seed of Abraham he will open their eyes to see that the Father did not draw them to damnation or utter desolation though at first that be their greatest fear but unto salvation by him This hath he promised to doe and if it be the work of the Spirit of God to establish us both in the Father and the Son then will he convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement John 16.8 to 11. and so will establish our hearts in the comforts of the Lord our God and this is that which the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians Chap. 3.16 Hence it cometh to passe that what the Lord would have us to doe he is present by his Spirit to teach us and to strengthen us and so to doe it for us All these things doth the Lord work for Abraham and for his Elect seed So that look what is meet for a Father to do or for a Brother to doe or for the Spirit of God to doe that will the Lord doe unto his elect ones and so he giveth all his attributes and they are even God himselfe and therefore when Moses desired to see his glory and he desired it from the grace that God had shewed him Exod. 34.6 the Lord proclaimed his Name before him Jehovah Jehovah strong mercifull and gracious c. Thus doth the Lord give himselfe and all the Persons in the God-head as they are truly called and Attributes they are no more nor no other then God himselfe 2 And as God himself is implyed so when God is given by Covenant all the Ordinances and Creatures and works of God are given also for so it was in all Covenants of old time when Jehosaphat maketh a Covenant with Ahab King of Israel 2 Kings 22.4 then I am as thou art and my people as thy people and my Horses as thy Horses and all that he hath is for Ahabs service as the King goeth so goeth his strength so thus it comes to passe that if the Lord of Hoasts be for us and give himself unto us then also he gives unto us his Eternall Election and Redemption and whatsoever he hath wrought for the salvation of his Elect He hath not so dealt with any Nation Psal 147.20 but only with the Israel of God unto them hath he given his Laws and shewed them his judgements And for his Creatures they are all given to be for his People to whom he hath given himself If God be a God unto Abraham then shall all Gods people be for him Melchisedeck shall blesse him Aner Eshcot and Mamre shall be Confederates with him the Sun Moon and Stars shall fight in their courses for the people of God the Sea shall give way to passe through it on dry ground What ailed you ye streams of Jordan to goe back Why all the Creatures of God must stoop unto the people of God wâ—… he is in Covenant with them This is that which the Lord promiseth unto his people Hos 2.18 to 22. when the Lord shall marry them to him in faithfullnesse and 1 Cor. 3.22 This is the large gift of Gods Covenant Nay and which is wonderfull and beyond all comprehension when I say all the Creatures and Ordinances of God are ours the very expression of the phrase doth imply that the Lord giveth himselfe to be the staffe and strength of them so that you shall see the presence of God in them he will not only give a man wife and children and Ordinances and providences but he will be in all these and blesse his people in the enjoyment of them all so as that
they shall enjoy God in all Psal 16.5,6 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance He saw the Lord in what he did enjoy and when he had any thing it was in God when he wanted any thing it was supplyed in him The like did Jacob find when his brother Esau came against him with 400 men and the Lord turned him from the fiercenesse of his wrath here was the Covenant of Abraham the Lord gave him the mouth and arms and tears of his brother Esau what saith Jacob to all this Gen. 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God He saw the power and mercy of God in changing the countenance of his elder brother and that is it which sweetneth all that a man doth enjoy the loving-kindnes of God in all is the blessing of all and this likewise doth Jacob acknowledge Gen. 33.5 These are the Children which God hath gratiously given thy Servant and so he looked at them as Gods wives and children and servants and Cattell and this is the very life of the Covenant of Grace when as the Lord is wrapped up in all his blessings when as he giveth himselfe and in himselfe his Christ in Christ Peter and Paul and all things unto his Church 1 Cor. 3.22,23 Rom. 8 32. This is the maine thing given God himselfe the God of the Covenant his Persons Nature Ordinances Providences and now Abraham is made the Lord of the world and so the Apostle doth interpret it Rom. 4.13 the Promise that he should be Heire of the world c. and this is that which Abraham did receive in receiving the Lord to be his God 2 In the Order of giving the Covenant there is something to be observed 1 God giveth first and not the Creature it was not Abraham that gave unto God first for which of all the Creatures shall offer a Covenant unto the Mighty God Rom. 11.35 the Lord hath the preheminence in giving for what should Abraham give unto God if God give not something unto him first He is the first giver 2 He is also the first thing in order that is given for doth he give the world first or Ordinances first or any other spirituall or temporall blessings first No doubtlesse the Lord is the first thing that he giveth by his Covenant and with himselfe all things else also Rom. 8.32 And there is the precedency of Jesus Christ he is given and in him all spirituall blessings as the Apostle saith Ephes 1.3 and this for the order of Nature in giving the Covenant not Obedience first nor Faith first nor any thing else first but himselfe is Donum primum primarium and in him all his goodnesse Exod. 33.19 3 For the Manner of giving in that he giveth himselfe there is implyed both the freedome and eternity of the gift firmnesse therefore and that unto eternity In that he giveth himselfe it must of necessity be done freely for what can any Creature give to purchase God If a man could give thousands of worlds they were not enough to purchase or redeem one soule and if he had millions of worlds to give what were they all to purchase so great a gift as God himselfe is Therefore it must needs be of free gift for the Creature can doe nothing to prevent God God indeed may give with a purpose to receive back againe as God doth require this of Abraham that he should have no other Gods before him c. Gen. 17.1 But though Abraham shall performe this and all the Commandements in an Evangelicall manner yet God himselfe doth undertake in this Covenant to be the Author and finisher of this his faith and obedience Heb. 12.2 And this doth argue the marvelous freedome of the Covenant of Grace for the Lord offereth it out of his grace without the foresight of faith or works for he undertaketh to give both will and deed of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 Object But it may be said Did not the Lord exact it that he should give himselfe back againe or else God would not give himselfe Answ Truly then the Covenant had not been of free Grace but as you see sometimes great Princes will take in a Neighbour Nation into League with them and not tell them of it so doth the Lord deale with his Elect ones otherwise he should not at all intend it nor ever give himselfe unto us for we are not able to give our selves unto him for if Abraham did give himselfe it was because God did take him first and therefore it is that the Apostle telleth us that the Lord took hold of Paul that he might take hold of the Loâ—d Phil. 3.12 I follow after if that I may c Deut. 32.6 If we give up our selves unto the Lord it is because the Lord hath taken hold upon our hearts first Object But doth not the Lord require of him to Circumcise his seed the eighth day Answ So he doth indeed but the Lord giveth him that also God the Father seeth it needfull for the confirmation of their Faith and their everlasting salvation therefore he giveth him Circumcision and giveth him the grace to circumcise his Children I think indeed the Lord doth call for many things under a Covenant of Grace but so as that the Lord 1 Worketh those things in them out of Grace not give Grace out of works 2 He will have them know that those things which they work are nothing without the working of his grace It is true Abraham may circumcise Isaac but who shall circumcise the heart of Isaac It is a small matter to circumcise the flesh so it is a small matter for us to baptize with water but who must wash us from our sins save only the Lord our God So that he doth secretly intimate that what his poor servants doe outwardly he would doe it in effect The Children of Israel shall at the Lords Commandment march about the City of Jericho seaven dayes together and not speak a word and hereby the walls of the City shall faâ—l down flat of what use were these weapons to such an end what would the Lord shew his people hereby hereby he teacheth them to know by what ability and power to bring mighty things to passe they shall doe duties as the Lord commandeth them but he himself shall breath in them to make them effectuall for though we doe never so much yet we cannot reach unto the accomplishment of any good thing Not by might nor by strength but by my Spirit The Lord therefore by his Spirit must work all our works for us Here is the freeness of Gods Covenant in that the Lord giveth himself first Jer. 32 40. You may speak of Conditions in this kind but the Lord doth undertake both for his own part and for our parts also for as the Covenant is free so the Lord will freely maintaine and preserve all his Elect and all from the immutable nature of God it
is not possible that God should lye Mal. 3.6 Hence springeth our eternity perseverance Rom. 11.29 Phil. 1.6 Though the sence of the Covenant doth require it of Abraham to give himself back again unto the Lord though that be Abrahams duty and the Lord doth intend it yet his intendment is to imply that he doth receive Abraham and his seed to be his people for ever Josh 24.3 Thus mind ye the Lord dealeth in the Coven of Grace he looketh towards those that look not towards him as is held forth Hos 3.3 where the Lord biddeth the Prophet love a woman that was an Adulteresse and say unto her Thou shalt be for me and I will be for thee This is a branch of the Covenant when the Lord doth undertake to receive Abraham and his seed unto himself his giving himselfe unto them doth breed a reciprocall returning of them unto him Quest Now it may be demanded How did the Lord take Abraham and his seed to be his people Answ By a double Act as 1 Of Preparation not on Abrahams part or on his seeds part but on his own part the Lord prepared them 2 The Lord did invest him with the blessings of this Covenant 1 For Preparation the Lord prepareth them by a double work of his Spirit which are manifest in all the seed of Abraham Elect of God 1 By a Spirit of Bondage whereby he cutteth off the seed of Abraham from all worldly intanglements and delights thus God took Abraham and brought him from beyond the Flood and so doth he take men off from their Countreys and Fathers houses he seperates them from all such things that he might draw them unto himselfe Thus he dealt with the Children of Israel and called them to be a singular people unto himselfe and yet but in a Covenant of works Deut. 7.6,7,8 Thus doth the Lord deale with all those whom he receiveth to be a people unto himself and by this spirit of bondage he draweth them from all their sinfull lusts and passions so as that they can find no hope of mercy in any thing and this is properly a Seal of the Covenant of works as the Spirit of Adoption is a seale of the Covenant of Grace Rom. 8.15 Now by this bondage the Lord first setteth home unto the Consciences of men the weight and danger of their sins and it is the usuall manner of God to give a Covenant of Grace by leading men first into a Covenant of works as it is his constant manner to work by contraries and so to thrust men out of doors that they may have fellowship with himselfe at length I had a gratious father will the poor soule say but now I may goe and shake my ears like a poor wretch for so indeed he is cast out of the Covenant and favour of God to his sense and feeling but thus the Lord doth even shut him out of doors that he may open to him another and a better way 2 The Lord also Prepareth his people by a Spirit of Burning which upon a spirit of bondage he doth shed abroad into the hearts of men This we read of Mal. 4.1 It is spoken of the Ministry of John the Baptist which did burn like an oven against all the Scribes and Pharisees and left them neither the root of Abrahams Covenant nor the branch of their own good works he cutteth them off from the Covenant of Abraham Mat. 3.9 Think not to say that you have Abraham to be your father c. and so by cutting them off from the root he leaveth them no ground to trust on From their good works the Lord Jesus Christ also cutteth them off Mat. 6.2.5.16 This was a Spirit of Burning which the Lord conveyed by the M nistry of Christ and of John Baptist to burn up all the Hypocrites like stubble and the beauty of their works was blasted by it and this is Gods usuall manner of dealing Now there are many under a Spirit of bondage that never came under a Spirit of burning yet many under a Spirit of bondage doe fear the Lord with some kind of reverence unto his Ordinances for as an Angel of God they received Paul and yet for many of them they were but under the Law and therefore the Apostle saith He is afraid of them least he hath bestowed his labour in vaine Gal. 4.9,10,11 compared with ver 21. where he saith Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law c. A signe that this bondage under which they were did not onely bind them under fear of wrath but did bind them also to obey the Ordinances of God with some kind of devout reverence Now you have many men that rest there but when the Lord doth carry men further then he sendeth a spirit of burning thereby to blast all the fruits and branches of their righteousnesse and to burn up all that under a Covenant of works a man hath wrought and this is that which the Prophet Esay speaketh of Isa 4.4 that the Lord will purge away the filth of the daughter of Sion with a spirit of judgement and of burning The one is a spirit of sanctification and the other is a consuming fire which forceeth them not to build any comfort upon any works that they have done This may Hypocrites reach unto in their judgements so as that they may be convinced that they have neither root within them nor branch growing upon them and yet in the mean while they may not come unto a Spirit of Adoption but hereby also the Lord useth to prepare his people Some blesse themselves in worldly courses and never come unto a spirit of bondage some doe find comfort in their performances and never saw the vanity of their own righteousnesse but there are those whom the Lord doth carry further unto a spirit of burning even unto a sensible feeling of Gods wrath burning against whatsoever is as stubble such is a mans own gifts and parts and worth so that now the poor soule findeth that he hath no root of any good Covenant but seeth it to be an outward face of the Covenant that he doth rest upon and now he seeth no green branch of righteousnesse remaining but all is blasted and broken in pieces according to what the Prophet Esay saith Chap. 40.6,7 and so the Lord cometh to leave a man neither root nor branch for by a spirit of bondage the Lord blasteth all flesh but when it cometh unto the goodlinesse of flesh that is consumed by a Spirit of burning 2 As God thus prepareth us for himselfe so he doth give himself unto us and taketh possession of us by his blessed Spirit The Father giveth himself and his Son by his blessed Spirit for the Spirit it is by which he doth visit the hearts of his people and this is the main blessing of the Covenant of Grace For the better cleering of it this may be demanded Quest How doth the Lord give himselfe unto his people
also Gal. 2.26 that is manifested to be justified in our owne consciences Quest 3. Whether doe we receive the Lord Jesus Christ in an Absolute or in a Conditionall Promise Answ We know the Lord can convey himselfe in an Evangelicall Commandement as well as in a Promise as we find it Isa 41.14 Feare thou not worme Jacob I will help thee c. He can also convey himselfe in a threatning to the Devill as unto our first Parents he did convey himselfe wrapping up a Promise in it as Gen. 3.15 from whence the Lord gave them to suck a sweet and comfortable Promise of his free grace And when the like is conveyed in a Commandment the Lord undertaketh to work that which he so commandeth But now it is questioned Whether the Promise wherein the Lord giveth himselfe be Absolute or Conditionall Faith to receive Christ is ever upon an Absolute Promise if you will say it is a Promise to a Condition what kind of condition was it there is no Condition before Faith but a conditon of misery a lost condition or if a gratious Condition it is a Condition subsequent not prae-existent no Condition before it whereby a man can close with Jesus Christ and if it was a Condition after Faith unto which the Promise was made then faith was there before and whatsoever followeth Conversion is no ground of Faith but a fruit and effect of it therefore I say our first coming on to Christ cannot be upon a Conditionall but upon an Absolute Promise And if ever the Lord minister comfort unto any man true comfort upon good grounds is ever built upon a Promise of free grace If the witnesse be unto Justification received it is true indeed a gratious Qualification and a Promise to it may give good Evidence of it a posteriore And so for Sanctification if the Lord come to bear witnesse unto a mans Sanctification then he doth it from some work or other of his grace in him as unto Abraham Gen. 22.12 There is a fourth Question which is as a further branch of this fourth Use which I would not speak to but that I might through the good hand of God the better clear things that we may not stumble in our expressions in any conference about the Covenant of Grace and works Quest 4. Now forasmuch as you heare of a Sanctification under a Covenant of works it doth imply that there is a Sanctification that is but transitory and not everlasting nor immortall Whether then may a man evidence his Vnion with Christ by his Sanctification Answ I answer in foure Propositions that I might not leave any occasion of scruple or difference about what is held forth in our Congregation as being that which doth yield as much Agitation as any other Doctrine that is taught among us let me therefore shortly and plainly discover it and let it be so far received as we see the life and presence and truth of the Spirit of God revealing the doctrine of free Grace according to the Scriptures Prop. 1. That a Sanctification which the terrors of the Law may produce that is to say such a Sanctification as may be found in a Covenant of works is no evidence or witnesse of our union with Christ And I suppose there is no difference there but though there be no difference in mens judgements in this yet it is an easie thing for Christians to abuse their Evidence upon this very ground and as much upon this ground as upon any For when Christians come to be really wrought upon and find themselves discouraged from sin and so reforme their lives and give up themselves to obey the word and find comfort therein and great consolation many times in such a case as this Christians doe much differ upon the point yet I doe not know any of all the Teachers in the Country that withdraw their consents from this doctrine that such Sanctification as is wrought in Hypocrites though it may reach to great improvements yet it is no evidence of Justification at all And it hath been handled in another Congregation and I thinke not without weight of truth that to distinguish in men between that Sanctification which floweth from the Law and that which is of the Gospel is a matter so narrow that the Angels in Heaven have much adoe to discern who differ a work fitter for Angels to cut the scantling in it then for the Ministers of the Gospel though indeed there be great difference of the one from the other Now though this doe not tend to heale any difference in judgement yet it is usefull to heale a misprision of sanctification that may be found in all Hypocrites of this Country and elswhere Three things are to be attained unto in all sanctification 1 From what Root it springeth 2 By what Rule it is guided 3 At what End it aimeth And commonly under one or other of these three are put all the differences between the one sanctification and the other I speak it that it may be searched and God is my witnesse not to unsettle the well-grounded comfort of any soule but if any have built upon an unsafe ground or have built Hay or stubble better it is to know it at first whilst there is hope in Israel than when it is too late In those three things formerly mentioned are all the differences between the sanctification of Hypocrites and of the Children of God and they goe so close together that you will say it is an easie matter to discerne justification by sanctification 1 For the Root of it the soule having fellowship with Christ the Holy Ghost cometh into the soule worketh Faith in Jesus Christ and this is the root of all Christian sanctification Ezek. 36.27 and for Faith it is that which purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 without faith it is impessible to please God Heb. 11.6 So that Faith must concur unto the rootednesse of our sanctification in Christ And the Apostle doth attribute both these Roots unto both sorts Unto those Christians that shall afterwards fall away to sin the sin against the Holy Ghost Heb. 6. They have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost that heavenly Gift was Faith which the Apostle reckoneth chiefly among the Principles of Christian Religion vers 1. A tast they had both of Faith and the Holy Ghost yet from both these they fall away You know what was said of Saul 1 Sam. 10.10 The Spirit of God came upon him and so did it likewise upon Judas and Demas acting them mightily in their Administrations and as they were thus carryed along by the Spirit so likewise the spirit of bondage will marvelously prevaile with the Sons of men to draw them on to strong works of Reformation from whence they reap no small Consolation but think and say as Abijah did that the Lord is with them whilst they are with him And as sometimes David said of himselfe I believed
of free grace without any Qualification mentioned Howbeit many of them that heard the word believed and the â—umber of the men were about five thousand about three thousand of them believed before so that here are two thousand that believe upon this Absolute Promise the Lord Christ is offered to them and they receive him by Faith The like we read also Acts 10.43,44 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins And while Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the words to that the Holy Ghost giveth himselfe and they receive him in an absolute Promise and left it should be a matter of absolute doubt unto any consider thus much that whereas the Lord doth unite himselfe to the soule as a Father to a child or as an Husband to a wife it is free For did you ever know a true reall Marriage made in a Conditionall Promise Doth a man say to his wife If you prove a loving and a kind wife then I will be thine Husband Or doth a wife say to her Husband If you will take me and love and maintaine me and all the children that God shall blesse us with then I will be your wife Would not your soule rise against such a Covenant as this Now I beseech you consider whether we shall not put an unspeakable dishonour upon the Covenant of free grace to conceive and expect that if we carry our selves thus and thus then God will be ours and we his But if thus and thus then he will cast us off Hath the Lord made such a Covenant with his Elect Indeed the Lord would have the Jewes to know that though he were marryed to them yet he would not continue that Covenant but upon condition of obedience when they were disobedient the Lord gave them a bill of Divorce but in the Covenant of Grace spoken of Hos 2.19,20 the Lord giveth himselfe and you take him in an absolute Promise and now the Lord dwelleth in you and the soul yieldeth up it selfe unto God to be wholly at his disposing and doth not stint nor limit God upon this and this condition nor doth the Lord so bind us to the performance of any condition as that if it be not found the Covenant will be voyd yet he requireth many things of us as an Husband will doe of his wife as to be meek and lowly c. but if we faile the Covenant is not broken therefore believe it it doth much dishonour the Covenant of Grace to lay the weight of our interest in it upon any Condition by which we might plead our right unto it I confesse that the Lord doth usually give himselfe in a future Promise which makes us conceive that it is not so absolute a Covenant when persons give themselves one to another they give themselves absolutely and not in a future Promise and say I take thee to be my wife and I take thee to be mine Husband but all times are alike unto God that if the Lord say I will marry thee to me in tender mercies and faithfullnesse and loving kindnesse he doth that for the present which he promiseth to doe and againe it breeds in the soule a Reciprocall Union that though it know not whether the Lord hath given himselfe yet this it findeth namely a patient waiting with hope that the Lord will shew mercy at the length as when a woman hath a promise of marriage from her Husband she waiteth in hope untill he give himselfe so there is an Union or Contract when the soule doth waite upon God but when the Lord giveth himselfe more fully then he speaketh more plainly and giveth himselfe not in a future but in a present Promise and now the soule seeth that the Lord hath gracious fellowship with him for ever and ever Thus we see that promises are not vaine things but there are great use of them before our Union all promises are of excellent use in our Union the Lord giveth himselfe in an absolute promise onely but to take Christ in a Conditionall promise by vertue of the Condition is incompatible to a Covenant of Grace 3 After our union with Christ they are of more abundant use They were of use before we were in Christ for Doctrine and for Instruction and for Exhortation but now they are of more efficacy in the same kind and 1 They serve us for Doctrine to teach us that there is not onely free grace in Christ but there are gifts of grace in him and all the treasures of the good things of God are in him and all the blessings of the promises made unto Qualifications are layd up in him also 2 They serve for Instruction to direct us whither to look for Qualifications and the blessings promised unto them also namely to the Lord Jesus Christ to receive the blessing through him and the Qualification by the same hand for they are first fulfilled in him there is no good Condition but it is found in Christ no blessing thereunto but it is found in him also in him therfore they are to be sought for so that though a poor soule see himselfe wretched and blind and naked yet he hath an husband in whom all riches are laid up this he is taught to know by the promise and directed also to goe to Jesus Christ that enjoying him he may enjoy all good things in him 3 They are of use to stirre up unto Prayer for now I see that all these good things are in Christ and in him they must be enjoyed if they be enjoyed at all hereupon the soule is set a work the Holy Ghost concurring therewith to consider Is there so much grace in Christ and in him abundantly Hath the Lord made so many gratious promises unto such and such gracious Qualifications whether then should I goe either for the one or for the other but unto Christ that he may work in us a spirit of Faith of Love and of a sound mind and whatsoever else we stand in need of Give unto thy Servant a wise and an understanding heart saith Solomon when the Lord bad him ask what he should give him 1 Kings 3.9 Thus are the Servants of God stirred up by Conditionall promises to seek unto the Lord for the supply of all their wants for in him are all good things laid up and by him are they given unto his servants 4 They are of use to helpe us to Know our spirituall state and means to discern thereof All these qualifications to which the promises are made are fruits of the Spirit and will more or lesse declare unto you your sanctified state which is a marvelous blessing Upon the promises made unto such conditions the Lord stirreth up the hearts of his people to seek for such conditions to which the promises are made and when the Lord hath given them he then openeth their hearts to see what he hath
of the sixt Commandment and whosoever shall looke on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart and broken the seventh Commandment Thus Christ hath as it were revived Moses but as the Law given by Christ is not a Covenant of works but a Commandment of well-doing and he having given it we take our selves bound to be subject unto it The Apostle also presseth the morall Law upon severall relations of men Eph. 6.1,2,3 c. It is an honour to Christ that his servants should be holy as he is holy it is for the glory of God and he requireth it the Apostle James presseth it Chap. 2.8 to the end of the Chapter If you fullfill the Royall Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe ye doe well And againe Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Thus wee see the Apostles of Jesus Christ put it upon Christians to keepe the Law of God and Christ himselfe beareth witnes to the Law for God will never justifie sin to be no sin though he will justifie the person of a sinner Now as the Lord Jesus giveth the Law and as it were renueth it so he doth also give his Spirit unto his servants enabling them to keep it Jer. 31.33 and Ezek. 36.27 Now this Law would he not write in the hearts of his people nor give unto them his holy Spirit enabling them to keepe it were it not his will in Jesus Christ that the Law should be the Rule of holines and righteousnes unto his people hence it is that the children of God though they be not under the Covenant of the Law yet take themselves to be bound to the obedience of it for if Christ have given the Law as well as Moses and if he have ratified it by giving them his Spirit to teach and strengthen them to keepe it though not perfectly yet sincerely then they take themselves bound to obey the Law though they be under the Covenant of grace for doe we make voyd the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law for what need have Christians of free justification by Christ if they were not bound unto the obedience of the Law by the Commandment of the Law therefore the free justification of men under a free Covenant of grace doth establish the obedience of the Law otherwise what need they run to Christ to save them from the Curse of the Law Why doe we still run to Christ for the continuance of our Justification but that we find our selves ungodly Creatures against the righteous and holy Law of God Therefore if God have given men the Law his Holy Spirit to strengthen them in the obedience of it and his grace to save them from the curse of it then Christians are to know that they are bound to keep the Law they lye under the authority of it and dare not pluck their necks from under that yoke Now there are divers effects springing from the subjection of Gods people to the Commandement of the Law 1 As they take themselves bound to the obedience of it so they believe and many times feele the fatherly displeasure of God when they transgresse it now the transgression of the Law could not bring them under the displeasure of God unlesse they were bound unto the Commandement of the Law This displeasure David was sensible of Psal 38.1,2,3 c. where he makes many complaints which doe all of them spring from the conscience of the disobedience of the Law which God hath framed in the hearts of his servants whereby they reflect upon their sin as the ground of all the distempers which lye upon their bodies or minds This is the first effect of the subjection of Gods people to his Law they lye under the faith and sense of the danger of the disobedience of it 2 They are under the faith and sense also of Gods gratious acceptance of their wayes when they are sutable to the blessed directions of his word not that they can raise there-from their justified estate but by the same Spirit of God whereby they are helped to obey the Commandements of God they doe see the Lords gratious approbation of them in their poore and weake endeavours for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous that is acknowledgeth and approveth it Psal 1.6 When the Lord by his Spirit boweth the hearts of his people unto obedience then he knoweth and accepteth their obedience Gen. 22.12 Thus the Lord beareth witness unto his Servants that he doth accept their works so that they sensibly know and believe that the Lord doth acknowledge their poorest and weakest endeavours unto which they are carried forth by his Spirit in the Obedience of his word this the Prophet David confirmeth Psal 18.20 to 26. where he speaketh of his righteous dealing with Saul and whereas his enemies laid it to his charge that he was an enemy unto Saul the Lord beareth him witnes that he had walked toward Saul with a good conscience now the Lord having led him an end to deale justly and righteously and purely with Saul having kept him from all the malice and outrage of Saul and maintained his cause against him and delivered him out of his hands whom the Lord had now rejected herein the Prophet seeth the Lord accepting him when in the name of his Son by the power of his Spirit he is helped to attend unto the Commandements of God This is commfortable unto a Christian spirit when the Lord beareth witnesse unto his soule that he hath an eye to all the Commandments of God And all this argueth that the servants of God being in a state of grace in Jesus Christ have looked at themselves as bound by the Commandements of the Law and as being under the Law to Christ who hath given the Law and power unto his servants sincerely to keep it both by writing in their hearts a Law of obedience and by putting his Holy Spirit within them for if the people of God were not sensible of their bounden duty to the observation of the Law of God they would neither have faith nor sence of Gods fatherly displeasure when they negligently breake these Lawes neither would they be sensible of Gods acceptance of their conformity thereunto But we know what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience c. And truly the Lord doth often beare witnesse unto the integrity of his Servants against the oppositions of men So he did to Abraham to David to Paul and to sundry of the Servants of God though they are not wont to build their safe estate thereupon Yet this kind of Gods acceptance of their wayes and obedience they doe discern c. yet in their best obedience which they doe perform they see the need they have to goe unto God for justifying grace because if they have failed in
any one circumstance their best righteousnesse is polluted therefore they have need of Jesus Christ to cover the failings of their most strict performances this Nehemiah was sensible of when he had been very faithfull in reforming the abuses of the Sabboth and of many other Ordinances of God and though the Lord had helped him to undertake the Reformation with much dexterity and successe yet for all this he runneth unto Christ for acceptance and pardon Nehem. 13.22 And what would he have done if he had been conscious of some grosse sin He would then much more have run to the Lord Jesus Thus the Law is established by faith for there is no justified person but is very apprehensive of his sins and so of his continuall need of Christ whose blood cleanseth us from all sins John 1.7 and who is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse vers 9. who is an Advocate if any man sin and a Propitiation for our sins Chap. â— 1,2 And what doe all these things argue but that a Christian being under the Covenant of the grace of God doth submit himselfe unto this yoke of God Thus far then a Christian is under the Law to Christ so far as the Law is under Christ he is under the Command of Christ and under his power and displeasure if he negligently sin against the Law and unto Christ he runneth for pardon and cleansing and unto him he cometh for acceptance of his obedience so that he hath no use of the Law but unto Christ and in and under him But how is a Christian not under the Law So far forth as the Law is not under Christ I meane so far as it is without Christ freely justifying us by his grace so far a Christian is freed from under the Law In one word a Christian man under a Covenant of grace is not under a Covenant of works Rom. 6.14 You are not under the Law but under grace He meaneth not under the Covenant of the Law nor under the power and authority of the Law as of their Husband Rom. 7.1,2,3,4 The husbandly jurisdiction of the Law is taken away The Law is not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 That is not the Covenant of the Law for else we are under the Commandments of the Law to Christ But the Jewish Teachers taught more to wit the Covenant of the Law unto salvation Not but that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully But how shall a man use it lawfully for it is not given unto a righteous man but he reckoneth up the breaches of every Commandement and unto them it is given To the lawlesse and disobedient to the ungodly and sinners c. 1 Tim. 1.9 The Covenant of the Law is given to such and to none but such to convince them of their sinnes against the Law to humble them to the death and to drive them out of themselves and all confidence in themselves But how doth it appear that the Covenant of the Law is not given to the Children of God From hence it is manifest because a Christian man neither looketh for justification and silvation from his obedience to the Law nor seareth condemnation though he faile in his obedience and this is a fruit of his exemption from under the Covenant of the Law for if a man should look for life by his obedience to the Law and fear condemnation by the breach of it this would bring a man under the Covenant of the Law for the sanction of the Covenant of the Law is Life to them that obey and to them that disobey death and the curse but a Christian looketh not for life by his obedience and that is plain Psal 143.2 Rom. 3.20 Therefore no hope of salvation from our obedience to the Law But me thinks you will say a Christian may feare his condemnation because of his disobedience to the Law Truly this is a great snare and this doctrine will be scandalous to many a poor soule but without cause indeed if God give a man to be under the Covenant of grace and not to see it then he may fear but if a man know himselfe to be under the Covenant of grace then he doth not feare condemnation from his disobedience notable to this purpose is the confidence of David Psal 49.5 where the Prophet calleth upon all people in the world to take notice of it both men of high and low degree Wherefore should I feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquities of my heeles shall compasse me about Wherefore Truly if there be any fear in the world one would think this should procure it what should a man fear if not this David yet professeth it and would have all men to know it that there is no cause therein why a Christian man should fear wherefore should I fear c. Though it should follow you to the Stocks or to Prison yet there is no cause why it should make you fear Men that trust themselves in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransome for him that be should still live for ever and not see corruption Had David had nothing but the wealth of his Kingdome he might have feared well enough but here 's his confidence vers 15. But will not this make a Christian wanton against God and cause him to abuse his liberty to hardnesse of heart No no this is the kindly melting of a godly heart to consider a Redeemers love drawing him from the power of the grave and that he should by his sins pierce the Lord Jesus Christ this melteth him more than all his other sins especially considering the abounding grace of God which where sin hath abounded aboundeth much more Thus when a man doth not look for life by his owne righteousnesse but knoweth the Redemption of soules to be more pretious than so this sheweth a man not to be under a Covenant of works and then his very iniquity shall not make him afraid there is such a state in Christianity and let all men know it But will not all men think the worse of Christian profession No David will have all men know it that they may see the difference between all worldly confidences and the confidence of Christians all the glory of worldly men will leave them to be like the Beasts that perish and cannot redeem their soules that the Lord onely might be exalted in his Redeemed 2 As a Christian looketh not for salvation by his obedience to the Law nor feareth condemnation by his disobedience So neither doth he seek for any blessing from his obedience nor fear any curse from his disobedience And therefore if there be any Promises of blessing made to any obedience though God should help him to as much obedience as might be he doth not look for any blessing from that obedience
Rom. 4.4,5,6 He looketh not for his blessednesse from his works though he should perform all the conditions to which the Promises are made yet he expecteth all his blessing from free Justification and union with the Lord Jesus Christ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin this is the blessednesse of Christians It is true the Lord doth blesse the workings of his servants and accept them Mat. 25.34,35,36 Thus Christ blesseth them but they are not sensible of their good deeds so as to expect blessings for their obedience sake and therefore they make answere and say Lord when saw we thee an hungry and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink c Neither do they fear the curse of God or that their sins should separate them from God those that are under the law indeed are cursed if they doe not continue in all things that are written in the Law to doe them But this Curse is removed from the Elect by Jesus Christ 3 This also is a third effect of the freedom from the Covenant of works that a Christian doth not look for conjugall comfort from his obedience nor fear conjugall divorce from his disobedience In a Covenant of works it is with a man as it was with Leah Jacobs wife who expected love and fellowship from her Husband because of her fruitfulnes Gen. 29.32,34 but thus doth not a man under a Covenant of grace for when he hath done all he can he is ready to say I am an unprofitable servant Luke 17.10 and doth not chalenge God for any of his dealing with him he seeth he deserveth not his daily bread and so looks for no reward from his good works though the Lord will gratiously acknowledge his servants in what they doe according to his will yet they are not wont to plead any such thing which is very observable in the practice of Jacob Gen. 32.9,10 c. where he doth not presse the performance of Gods Commandement to procure any blessing but acknowledgeth his unworthinesse and looketh for grace from the Promise of God Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my brother for thou saidst I will surely doe thee good Nor doth a Child of God fear divorce by his disobedience though it have been very great Sometimes the people of God have not onely rejected the servants of God but the Lord himselfe 1 Sam. 8.7 But when Samuel had pressed hard upon them for their sin Cha. 12. and they were truly humbled then Samuel said unto them ver 20 21 22. Fear not c. Therefore feare you not he will not cast you off So that mind you a poor Christian doth not fear divorce from his disobedience for if we should look for blessings from the one or cursings from the other we walk as not under Christ but under the Law But he that is freed from the Covenant of works is freed also from expecting salvation or fearing damnation for what he doth He knoweth the Lord will hide his face from him if he doe evill but he knoweth the Lord will not cast him off for ever yet he dares not commit sin but being under grace he is the more affected if he shall at any time displease God and procure chastisement to himselfe and by this means the Lord doth mortifie his distempers on the other side if he doe well he will not say now my Husband will cleave unto me and dwell with me No no we are freed from the Law Rom. 7.4 But we were not so if we look for conjugall love from God for our obedience to the law it is true if a man be marryed to the Law his obedience unto it will supply comfort unto him but if we be dead unto the Law we have no life in it nor by it but onely in Jesus Christ from whom we expect our comfort indeed we are troubled that we should sin against the grace of God otherwise we look not at our obedience or disobedience to make us accepted or rejected 4 And finally the soule doth not claim his right unto any Conditionall Promise by his performance of the condition nor doth he deny himse fe the blessing that the Promise may reach forth unto him though he be wanting in obedience to this or that Commandement Pregnant for this purpose is the example of Jacob which we mentioned before Gen. 32.9,10 who though he had a plain and a full Promise of God to doe him good if he would returne unto his Countrey and to his kindred yet when he did returne according to the word of God he claimed not his interest in that Promise for that he had done as God commanded him but I am lesse than the least of thy mercies and yet he cometh unto the Lord for the performance of his Promises but upon this ground onely for the sake of mercy and truth Deliver me I pray thee for thou saidst I will surely doe thee good vers 11 12. So that mind you though the soul can make use of a conditionall Promise and come to God for the blessing of it yet not expecting it in the least manner by vertue of his obedience and truly this is the freedome of a Christian soule whereas another man if he have kept the Commandment and performed the condition he then looketh for acceptance from God as if the Lord make this Promise that He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy This man confesseth his sin unto God and forsaketh it and therefore he looketh for mercy But this is not the manner of Gods people and yet if they look for any mercy it is in the way of God but not for their owne goodnes their hope is in the faithfulnesse and free-grace of God they may make mention to the praise of God how he hath guided them and carryed them an end in his owne wayes yet they chalenge nothing for any thing that they have done but put the Lord in mind of his free Promise that as of his free grace he hath freely promised so from the same grace he may make good what he hath promised Vse 1. If any therefore shall accuse the Doctrine of the Covenant of free grace of Antinomianisme and say it teacheth men freedome from the Law of Moses and if they commit any sin they plead they are not bound unto the Law we see how false such an aspersion would be for all the people of God know that the Lord is an avenger of every such wickednesse There is none under a Covenant of Grace that dare allow himselfe in any fin for if a man should negligently commit any sin the Lord will schoole him throughly and make him sadly to apprehend how unworthily he hath made bold to abuse imbeazle the treasures of the grace of God Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid None that have a portion in the grace of God dare allow himselfe in sin but if through strength of temptation he be
at any time carried aside it is his greatest burthen 2 Sam. 12.8,9 compared with 13. Hath not the Lord sayth Nathan done these and these things for thee Wherefore then hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord Then David confesseth I have sinned It pierced him to the heart to consider it that he should abuse his neighbours wife and kill her husband and above all that he should commit that wickednes against God that had dealt so gratiously with him So that the children of the Covenant of grace will onely tell you that they are free from the Covenant of the Law but not from the Commandment of it for as it is given by Jesus Christ and ratified in the Gospell and as Christ hath given us his Spirit enabling us to keep it wee are under it so farre as to take our selves bound by the Authority of it and if we doe trangresse against it we know it is sin in the sight of God therefore it is that the soule in such a case is sensible of the wrath and displeasure of God whether it be his own sin or the sin of his brethren therefore he runneth unto God for mercy which he would not doe if he did not know that his desert according to the Law did utterly cut him off from mercy else would he never pray for pardon of sin nor rejoyce when the Lord helpeth him to doe that which is right and just in his sight nor blesse the Lord for strengthning him unto obedience unlesse he thought it to be his duty and therefore Vse 2. It is of use also to Teach the servants of God how far we are freed from the Law to wit from the Covenant of it so that we neither looke for justification nor salvation from it and let it not be grievous to any soule that a Christian should say he doth not feare condemnation by his disobedience he will be apt to feare in this kinde untill he be assured of the favour of God but when he knoweth his portion in the Covenant then indeed he doth not feare condemnation by his sin nor doth he thinke that the Lord will cleave unto him because of his fruitfulnes he casteth not off his comfort nor looketh at himselfe as divorced from Christ because of his barrennes nor doth he looke for his daily bread from all his obedience but expecteth all goodnesse and blessing from the treasures of the free grace of God Vse 3. This may also serve to Teach men some discerning of their owne spirits and state if you looke for justification no longer than you are obedient and feare eternall condemnation then you are disobedient if you are afraid of divorce from Christ because of your sins or if you looke for any vertue or challenge right to any promise by vertue of any well-doing of your owne in such a case either you are under a Covenant of workes or you are gone aside to a Covenant of works and if ever the Lord open your eyes and bestow his free grace upon you you will know your redemption from such dependances as these be I know a Christian man that hath not been cleerely taught the distinct differences between these two Covenants may be misled into dangerous wayes that might tend unto the utter undoing of his soule but it is a sin of ignorance and the Lord will not leave his servants but cleare up his truth and grace unto them Vse 4. May serve to Teach the servants of God that desire to walke in a way of constant obedience how to build their faith and hope truly if they be grounded upon your own obedience or righteousnes of sanctification if they depend upon you you will find your hearts ever unsetled you may finde comfort as under the Law you shall for the Law will cast in comforts upon a man because of his obedience if he be marryed to the Law but if you shall believe that Christ is yours and comfort your selves because you have been by the power of the Law constrained to duties and restrained from sin and thereupon build your conjugall communion with Christ you will find your soules full of sadnes and feare ere long especially if you have true grace in your hearts and therefore it is the faithfullnes and tendernes of the grace of God unto his people that when Christians come into this Country though they have been marvellous eminent in our native Country yet here they cannot pray fervently nor heare the word with profit nor receive the Seales with Comfort they wonder what is become of their old prayers and hearings and Sacraments and of their lively spirits in holy duties truly the Lord hath disinabled them as it were from such things because they did build their union and fellowship with Christ upon them that so they might know the freedome of the grace of God that justifieth the ungodly then will the poore soule be glad to seeke after the Lord Jesus Christ and say as the people of God sometimes did Hos 2.7 I will goe and returne to my first husband for then it was better with me than now now the soule will plainly see discerne that he closed not with his true husband when as he built so much hope and comfort upon his duties therefore he will finde himselfe weake and dead as it were to all spirituall duties and can finde no life in them no comfort from them and it is the marvellous goodnes and free grace of God unto such a soule whom the Lord will not suffer to blesse himselfe in his works for if a man should lay the foundatiō of his comforts in them and be ready as it were to take it ill if he should not finde God accepting his works Wherefore have wee fasted and thou regardest it not Isa 58.3 If a man rejoyce in the sparks which he hath kindled this shall he have at the hands of God he shall lie downe in sorrow Isa 50.11 Whereas the light of God shall gratiously breake forth unto the servants of God that wait upon him though they be for present in darknes and see no light trust not therefore in any legall comforts but wait upon the free grace of God both to justifie sanctifie comfort and glorifie your soules This is the way of constant peace and if the Lord doe at any time checke his servants when they walke in by-wayes it is that he might build them upon a sure foundation so that their salvation will not lye upon their obedience nor damnation upon their disobedience This is the way of constant peace and s◅ety unto all the Israel of God Quest 7. This Doctrine may serve in the next place to Answer a seventh Question touching the necessitie of sanctification For it may be demanded If the Lord will give himselfe unto the soule in the Covenant of his grace not onely his Attributes but his Person all that is God is given by vertue of this Covenant If God hath himselfe not onely chosen us
to life and glory but given his Sonne to redeeme us and holy Spirit to sanctifie us Ezek. 36.27 What need is there then of Sanctification for if the holy Ghost will dwell in us he can take our wits and understandings and understand all our meditations for us without any such actuall concurrence of ours as might be requisite for that end if the Lord give himselfe to be my righteousnes and holines what need I then these gifts of holines so that this in summe is the Question If the Lord will give unto us himselfe what need we these gifts to worke any thing which God is much more able to performe than we can be this springeth naturally from the doctrine Though the Lord give us himselfe and his holy Spirit to dwell in us yet is it needfull that we should be endued with all the gifts of the Spirit of grace that do accompany salvation You will say what need is there then that the holy Ghost should dwell in us or will not these carry an end our soules unto immortality Truly we have need that the Lord should give us his holy Spirit to dwell in us notwithstanding all the gifts of his grace though they indeed are necessary conditions to be found in the soules of all Gods servants Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with holines without which no man shall see the Lord as if he made it not onely of absolute necessity unto salvation in another world but for a comfortable condition in this world follow peace and holines as if they were ready to fly away from a man and indeed the Originall word doth imply no lesse for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie the pursuit of something that fleeth from a man as peace will many times fly from one a man shall have much adoe to attaine unto it Psal 120.6,7 it is not easily attained unto therefore should not be suffered to depart but held fast when it is enjoyed And so for holines the Apostle would have us make an holy kinde of pursuite after it as if it were still withdrawing it selfe from us which cometh through the corruptions of our hearts for wee are soone weary of holy duties as prayer or conference or the like if holines be in any thing it soone groweth wearisome to flesh and bloud but though our weake and feeble nature will be withdrawing us from holines yet the Lord would have us to follow it and pursue it and so shall a man be withdrawn from the world and from the temptations and bad examples thereof doe not say what shall we be wiser than our fathers is not moderation best in all things but consider what the Apostle saith follow still after it even unto perfection and his words doe intimate the Reason of it Without which no man shall see the Lord for what is holines in its owne nature it is that which giveth God his due as righteousnesse giveth man his due this is a maine ground why we are so slow in works of holines for were they of another nature and did they serve our turnes more as we thinke we should not then account them tedious if a man were to sit and tell money all day long this is for my selfe saith a man and for my profit and if it were for another we should not thinke the time long it may be about that work neither but mind you when it cometh to any thing which doth concerne the Lord then it s so sarre above a mans reach whatsoever we have to doe in the things of God that we should soone be weary of reaching forth our hands all the day long unto the Lord and to be constantly for God from God and with God in all our actions our base spirits are soone ready to be withdrawing from the Lord therefore the Apostle biddeth us Follow after peace and holines without which c. so that great is the necessity of holines and worthy to be followed after for though a mans owne heart and the world and men and Satan withdraw us from it yet follow after it for without it no man shall see God there is a kinde of holines which some men have attained unto many a faire day agoe but t is a thousand to one whether it be the holines that doth accompany salvation for that holines is not easily attained unto but the other will easily cleave close unto a man Now if you shall aske me Quest Wherefore the Lord will have us pursue after holines and what needeth it if the Spirit of holines dwell in me by an Everlasting Covenant if it did withdraw from us as it did from Adam it was another matter but though it may be quenched in us yet it abideth for ever what need then of gifts of holinesse Answ That one word may be sufficient which we finde 2 Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe from these evills he shall be c. This sheweth us why gifts of holines are requifite to be in Gods people namely that they might become meet instruments in the hand of God and fitted unto every good word and worke therefore it is that the Lord will have us to be filled with all the gifts of righteousnes and fruits of his Spirit that we might be the more fit Temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in and this is the principall Reason of the point Quest If then there be such gifts of holines what need the holy Ghost dwell in us is it not enough that he should shed abroad these things into our hearts cannot the Lord carry an end the worke of our salvation by these gifts Answ There is need that the holy Ghost should dwell in us notwithstanding 1. To keepe these gifts in us 2. To Act them in us 3. To witnesse unto our soules by these for our comfort and the good one of another Some Scriptures for all these 1. That there is need of the holy Ghost that he should keepe these in us 2 Tim. 1.14 there is a worthy thing committed unto us how shall wee keepe it not by our owne wit or wisdome carefull watchfullnes and faithfullnes though such things ought not to be wanting but the charge is Keepe those things by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us we stand in need of gifts to be fit instruments in the hand of God we stand in need of the Spirit of God to maintaine that which God giveth us though Adams gifts were in perfection yet not having the holy Ghost to keepe them for him they all fly from him as soone as ever he had tasted of the forbidden fruit and left him naked and desperate therefore in the Covenant of grace the Lord giveth the holy Ghost to keepe strong possession in his servants against the strong man armed 2. It s the holy Ghost that Acteth the gifts given to us and enableth them in us for the holy Ghost who keepeth possession doth derive continued strength into our faith which putteth life into all
that is the first and fundamentall of all the rest that God doth put forth or any other Person in Trinity for the applying of the Covenant unto the hearts of his people And God in giving his Sonne doth give himselfe Isai 9.6 Joh. 10.30 1 Joh. 2.23 Rom. 5.8 Joh. 3.16 And as God giveth us his Sonne so he giveth us all things else in his Sonne Rom. 8.32 So then this is the first and the great worke of God that he hath given his Son out of his own bosome to take our nature upon him to lead a miserable life and to dye a cursed death and in him hath given all his Attributes his mercy and power unto the sonnes of men an undoubted signe that God intendeth to give himselfe in the Covenant of grace unto his people when he giveth Jesus Christ himselfe in that Covenant as he doth expressely Isa 42.6 where wee may see that God giveth another even that God the Father giveth God the Sonne Thus it is a gift of the Covenant that God giveth his Sonne to be the foundation of the Covenant and the chiefe blessing of it And Chap. 49.8 He speaketh to the same purpose No man hath seene God at any time Joh. 1.18 nor can see him nor will God the Father have immediate fellowship with any creature but the onely begotten Sonne of the Father the Lord hath given him that he might reveale him Thus wee may perceive that the Lord is gratious and marvellous gratious in that he giveth us his Sonne his deare Sonne the second Person in Trinity and thus he saith to his Elect I will be a God unto thee and give thee my Sonne that shall redeeme thee out of all distresse and danger Thus doth the Lord for his people and it is a cleere evidence of his grace and sheweth that his love unto his people is beyond all banks and bottome for the Lord to give us his Sonne and this Sonne so soone as he was promised his people saw him a farre of Joh. 8.56 Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad For when the Lord Jesus Christ was promised unto him Gen. 17.16,17 and the Lord had said unto him I will blesse Sarah and give thee a sonne of her yea I will blesse her c. Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed he did rejoyce that the Lord would give him a Saviour out of his loynes how it could be brought to passe it may be he knew not but by a spirit of Prophecy did he discerne it no doubt This is the first worke of God in giving himselfe by Covenant and this was done long agoe before we were borne he gave him in his eternall counsell when he did elect us in him he gave him when he sent him into the world But this is more when 2. He giveth us unto his Christ by Covenant and draweth us unto him and giveth Christ unto us also And this grace of God cometh neerer us the other did leave us like lambs in a large pasture but now as He giveth us unto Christ so he giveth him unto us and both in present possession And this the Father doth Joh. 6.44 for no man saith Christ can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Now this kinde of hearing and learning of the Father is a strange kinde of learning which the Lord Teacheth the soule by when he draweth him unto Christ an effectuall Teaching and powerfull 1 Cor. 1.9 This is your effectuall calling and this is the Lords giving us unto his Sonne John 6.37 All this is properly the worke of the Father Men are said to be well given when they give themselves to their bookes to their works and businesse but this we may well say that we are indeed well given when the Lord giveth us unto his Sonne for otherwise we are but in all ill state which way soever we are given Quest If you shall aske How the Father giveth us and calleth us and draweth us into fellowship with his Sonne for they are Scripture-phrases and all of them of like value in Scripture-sense Answ In a word The Lord draweth us unto his Sonne by his Spirit and calleth us as by his word so by his Spirit also and giveth us by his word and Spirit unto Jesus Christ In this thing I shall speake no more unto you than what you have often heard and I suppose long agoe received As that the Lord calleth his people out of their sinnes by the light of the Law and by the Spirit of bondage he setteth home the Law effectually unto the soule and thereby draweth us from sin and from the world in some measure that we have now no minde to those things which before we were full of delight in whether they be sinnes against the Law or sinnes against the Gospell it is the Lords usuall dealing by his Spirit to set home sinnes against both in so much that thereby we come to be afflicted with some kinde of trembling and feare and torment about our spirituall estate And thus it was with Saul who afterwards was Paul Acts 9.3,4,5,6 when Christ called unto him out of heaven and challenged and convinced him of sinne he all trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe So it was with the Jaylor Acts 16.29 After the Lord had shaken his heart with an earth-quake which is a sanction of the Law and a ratification of it as all Gods judgements are he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling to Paul and Silas Thus the Lord draweth men out of themselves and their finfull wayes by a spirit of bondage whereby they are convinced of sinne and desert of Gods wrath are greatly and deeply afflicted with feare concerning which the Apostle Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the Spirit of feare or bondage but of power of love and of a sound mind c. Such feare also the Apostle John speaketh of 1 Joh. 4.18 when he saith Perfect love casteth out feare for feare hath torment which commeth from the sense of a mans estate whereby he is forced to cry out many times and to say woe worth my soule that ever I was borne for the Lord causeth the to possesse all my sinnes and presseth me downe to the nethermost hell This is one worke of the Spirit of bondage by which the Lord draweth the soule out of it selfe and sinnes though of it selfe the spirit of feare goeth no further than to shake a mans carnall confidence which is accompanyed with Anguish and Torment 1 Joh. 4.18 Rev. 9.3 11.10 Besides this Spirit of Bondage the Lord hath another work which is called a Spirit of Burning Mal 4.1 The day cometh c. This is a Spirit of burning let us speak unto it a little the Prophet saith I shall leave them neither root nor branch
his owne works and taught him to resolve in his judgment to believe on Jesus Christ 4 There is a fourth sort also that fall far short of Christ too and yet goe beyond all these they goe beyond works and beyond this Faith also which we have spoken of which was not a lively Faith in Christ whereby we are justified but men justifie themselves by it God doth not justifie them Now this fourth sort come plainly to see that their Faith is shaken and they dare not look God in the face to justifie the truth of their Faith before him it is true many an heavenly spirited man cannot tell what will become of him nor can he tell whether his Faith be sound but many an Hypocrite also is so far convinced that he cannot tell what will become of him nor can he say that his Faith is right nor that he is able to believe What saith the soule now in such a case as this He will say I see it is not my Reformation nor my Faith that will serve the turn what is it then I see that now I must waite upon Christ that I may believe and unto him I must seek for helpe Is not this soule in a state of everlasting fellowship with Christ Truly this is that which the Lord many times bringeth the souls of his Servants unto but he leaveth them not there if he mean to doe them good for I would examine again how camest thou to waite upon Jesus Christ thou hast been driven out of conceit of thy former Faith and so hast been forced and hast seen a necessity to wait upon Christ for Faith or else thou canst not believe force of Argument hath constrained thee thus far if thou hast taken up a course of waiting onely upon this ground here is a spark of old Adam still kept alive in thee Thou art able to seek and wait upon Christ and yet I cannot promise thee that thou hast any part or portion in him But a soule will say Hath not the Lord made gratious Promises to all those that seeke for him Hath he not said that all they are blessed that waite for him Isa 30.18 And am not I wrapped up hereby in a bundle of grace and peace Mind you there is no promise of life made to those that wait seek in their own strength who being driven to it have taken it up by their own resolutions though I grant it is true that every one that waiteth for and seeketh the Lord aright is driven unto it by the Lord yet if ever the Lord mean to save you he will rend as it were the caule from the heart I mean he will pluck away all the confidence you have built upon a as man would rend the intralls of a Beast from him so the Lord will bring you to a flat deniall of your selves and that you have neither good will nor deed as of your selves And you will find you know not what God will doe with you but this you know that whatsoever he doth he is most righteous When the Spirit of God cometh as a Comforter he will in this manner convince the soul of a man that he hath heretofore hung upon his reformations for hope comfort but now he is brought plainly to see and flatly to deny that he hath so much as one drop of the fatnes of the true Olive tree in him when he most trusted unto his own excellencies Now a man being thus far brought on doth not only deny himselfe in his judgement but in his will and is ready to say as David sometimes did If the Lord say he hath no pleasure in me here I am let him doe unto me as seemeth him good The Lord is righteous in all that cometh upon me this onely the soul hath for his support in such a case the Lord is able to doe all for me that I stand in need of If he shew me no mercy he is just if he be gratious I shall live to praise him Now when a mans will is thus subdued that he hath no will of his owne to be guided by but onely the will of God this is true brokennesse of heart when not onely the judgement but the heart and will is broken The soule being thus convinced that neither his working nor believing nor waiting nor seeking as of himselfe will doe him any good there is no mercy that he can chalenge for any goodnesse sake of his owne then cometh the Holy Ghost in some declaration of Gods free love and taketh possession of the heart and then the soule beginneth to pant after Jesus Christ and nothing in Heaven but him nor in the Earth besides him The soule being thus wrought upon beginneth to put forth it selfe towards the Lord Jesus but the Holy Ghost having taken possession before helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26,27 He alone must help us and no other FINIS CERTAIN QUERIES Tending to Accommodation and Communion of Presbyterian Congregationall Churches BY Mr JOHN COTTON late Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England Published by a Friend to whom the Author himselfe sent them over not long before his Death LONDON Printed by M. S. for John Allen and Francis Eglesfield in Pauls Church-yard 1654. Certain Queries tending to the mutuall Accommodation Communion of Presbyterian and Congregationall Churches delivered in 11 Propositions humbly presented both to the Consideration and Examination of them according to God BY Mr JOHN COTTON The 1. Querie Whether may it not be safely acknowledged that the Congregations of Christians subject to Presbyteriall Government preaching and professing the Truth of the Gospel and not over-growne with ignorant and scandalous Persons are true and holy Churches of Christ BEcause such Churches for the Matter of them consist of visible Saints at least a principall part of them especially when they present themselves to sit downe before the Lord at his Table And for the Forme they doe agree together in choosing their owne Minister in attending duely to the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments and in submitting to the Doctrine of the Gospel which implyeth a reall and visible though implicite profession of the Covenant of grace requisite to Church-estate Object The Parish-Churches in England were Antichristian if not in their first Institution yet at least for these many hundred yeares and were never since unchurched nor new moulded out of their Anchristian Apostacy Answ 1. The Gospel of Christ was preached and received in England ten yeares before it was in Rome as may appeare by Gildas and may be inferred from Baronius also Annal. Anno Christi 35.5 45.1 and that by the Ministry of Apostles and Apostolick men who doubtlesse did at first institute Churches not after the Pattern of Rome which then was not a Church but according to the Patterne of the Apostles 2. Neither were they unchurched by the Antichristian Apostacy which afterwards grew upon them as a Leprosie but were onely corrupted and polluted even
in many fundamentalls both in Doctrine Worship Government which made them like unto the Israelites under the Apostacy of Jezabel the generallity being carryed away by the Corruption of the times but a Remnant reserved through grace which bowed not the knee to Baal 3. Since the Beginning of the Reformation many of the Church-members by the power of the Gospel reformed to a new estate of visible Saints and the fundamentall corruptions in Doctrine and worship were purged away and both of them so renued as that the presence and power of Christ was discerned in the face of the Ordinances And for the Government though it give not being but wel-being to Churches yet it hath also been growing more and more into better order unto this day In so much that Protestant Churches have renounced fellowship with Antichrist and his Churches and have separated from them in Doctrine Worship and Government which if it reach not to a new-churching yet it is a renuall of their Church estate and a new moulding of them into a more holy way of Administration of Church-Ordinances so that now they stand as Churches gathered out of the world both of Antichristians and of Pagans The Israelites after their Returne from under the Apostacy of Jezabel did neither solemnely unchurch themselves of their former corrupt estate nor Inchurch themselves into a better new estate but being called to Repentance by the Kings Proclamation and their hearts being bored of God to submit themselves thereto though they fell short of a full Purification yet they were received to the Lords Supper the Passeover together with their Brethren of the purer Church of Judah 2 Chro. 30.18,19,20 The 2d. Querie Presupposing then the Prerbyterian Congregations to be true Churches Whether hence It will not cleerely follow that the Ministers called by them being otherwise men of Ministeriall gifts are true Ministers and the Sacraments administred by them are true Seales of the Covenant of Grace The 3d. Querie Neverthelesse Whether may it not be justly doubted that the estate of both Churches is sinfully defective The Presbyterian partly in their Materialls in case the Members diverse of them be not professed Saints but either ignorant or scandalous and apparently carnall and worldly partly in their Government by the Presbyters of other Churches which way of Government though it had place in sundry Cases in the Nationall Church of the old Testament yea and in the New Testament might be practised for a time by the Apostles themselves who were Oecumeniall Governours of all Christian Churches yet the same was never delegated nor commended to the Pastors and Teachers of particular Congregations The Congregationall likewise how can they be excused in case there be any such as doe admit all manner of Sects into their Covenant and Communion and will not allow the Civill Magistrates to proceed to the Censure of seducing Hereticks and prophane Blasphemers The 4. Querie For the Healing of which defects were it not much to be wished that the Members of Presbyterian Churches did once publickly professe their Faith and Repentance before their partaking of the Lords Table as John Baptists Disciples did before their Baptisme and as Members of Congregationall Churches doe before their Admission that so None such as were ignorant or scandalous might be admitted to the Lords Table till they were duely approved to be Men of knowledge sound in the Faith and blamelesse in conversation And further also whether would it not much conduce to a more full and cleere acceptance of their Administrations If their Elders in the Classis did put forth no Authoritative Act touching the Members of other Churches but consultative onely nor touching their owne but upon hearing the advice of Fellow Elders in difficult cases to proceede each one with the Cognizance and Consent of his owne Church at home respectively The 5. Querie For want or Neglect hereof Though the Members of Presbyterian Churches should discerne some Defects in the Order and Government of their Churches yet whether may they suddenly breake off Communion with them till they have convinced them of their Defects and duely and patiently waited for their Reformation It may seeme No For if we must take a more delatory course for the healing of a private Brother in a way of brotherly love with much meekness and patience how much more ought we so to walke towards an whole Church The 6. Querie Such a Brother though as yet remaining a Member of a Presbyterian Church yet sensible of the Defects of his owne Church and being otherwise knowne to be fit why may he not lawfully and without scruple be received to partake at the Lords Table as occasion serveth in a Congregationall Church For such an one is both a Member of a true Church and cleansed from the defects of his owne Church The 7. Querie Yea suppose a godly Christian doe continue Presbyterian in his Judgement and yet doe approve also of a Congregationall way and is desirous to joyne in Covenant with a Congregationall Church whether may he not in due order be lawfully admitted and continued a Member of a Congregationall Church Yea further Notwithstanding the different state and way of Presbyterian and Congregationall Churches and the Defects which the one or the other may observe or surmize either in other yet even whilest they so stand and walke whether may not the Members of either without just offence mutually Communicate one with another as occasion shall be offered at the Lords Table The Affirmative seemeth probable For as Error in Judgement about Discipline is not an Heresie against the Foundation of Christian Religion And the Apostle instructeth Christian Churches to receive the Christian Jewes into their Church-fellowship who yeâ— dissented from them about the observation of Leviticall Rites which were as much discrepant from the Truth of the Gospel in the Order of worship as these other be in Order of Government Besides God accepteth cleanness of heart in his faithfull servants in their approaches to his Table though there be defects in full cleansing according to the Order of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30.18,19,20 The 8. Querie If a godly Minister called to Office by a People professing Godliness whether under Episcopacy or Presbytery and afterward repenting of any knowne sinne in his way shall be desirous of a more pure Reformation whether may not his godly people acknowledge his Ministeriall Calling without sinne Why not For he had the Essence of a lawfull Calling before in the free choice of his godly People and in his owne free acceptance of them and of their Call Nevertheless if any of his godly People should stumble at his former Calling whether may not a more select Company and body of the People renue their Call of him and there to accept the Concurrence and Consent of the rest of the Congregation And whether may not he also doe well instead of stiff standing upon the validiy of his former Calling to condescend to renue his